Caring for seniors and children across Nevada

Health Plan of Nevada Medicaid (HPN) recently announced more than $700K in targeted investments to improve health outcomes for Nevada’s seniors, kids, and families. These investments in community led solutions will increase access to care, strengthen the health system and help rural and urban communities meet critical social needs.

Supporting healthy starts for children

Nevada is home to 28,000 children who are cared for by a relative other than their parents.¹ HPN’s investment in Foster Kinship will support these families by strengthening the statewide Kinship Navigator Program. The program is designed to equip kinship caregivers with education and support to provide safe, stable homes for children in their care. This is expected to help more than 150 families access evidence-based family stabilization resources.

Children who are in foster care are up to 62% more likely to have a mental health condition like depression or anxiety.² To help more kids in foster care get the wraparound support they need, HPN is also investing in Olive Crest, a local organization that offers wraparound services to prevent child neglect, support foster families, and assist people who have experienced childhood trauma. This investment will help place children in caring homes and help those children get connected to clinical therapy and psychiatric care. Olive Crest will also train 20 foster families.

To improve mental health outcomes and help kids build emotional resilience, HPN is collaborating with Hope Christian Health Center to integrate mental health into their pediatric care framework. This investment will enhance access to integrated care for approximately 5,000 kids in Clark County and Nye County. Hope Christian Health Center will also embed mental health services in Clark County schools, seeking to reach 370 schools and more than 300,000 students.

Helping seniors access the resources they need

About 10 million older adults experience a mental health condition each year and 2.7 million have had a major depressive episode, but barriers create challenges accessing care.³ With support from HPN, University of Nevada, Reno will launch Nevada’s first statewide Electroconvulsive Therapy program dedicated to older adults, offering a safe and effective treatment for depression. In addition to enhancing psychiatry care regionally with plans for statewide expansion, the University will launch a statewide telepsychiatry program to help more people access care.

Rooted in a belief that food is medicine, Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada will expand its Homebound Senior Food Delivery Program, which helps seniors access food, receive wellness checks, and set personalized nutrition goals, all in seniors’ homes. The organization will also host vaccine events at senior centers in rural communities and offer in-home vaccinations and care appointments.

To address converging health and social needs for seniors, HPN is investing in East Valley Family Services to enhance the Golden Groceries and Senior Respite programs. Monthly food distributions help an estimated 200 seniors facing food insecurity. Increased support for the respite program is expected to impact 50 primary caregivers and the seniors they care for.

Most older adults have at least one chronic health condition, and many have multiple conditions.⁴ To care for Nevadans, with a particular focus on older adults and those in rural communities, HPN is collaborating with CARE Chest to expand access to medical resources. The program offers no-cost medical equipment, diabetic testing supplies, nutritional support, and mobile outreach with the goal of improving health outcomes, reducing unnecessary hospital visits, and promoting independence.

Inspired by more than 40 years of experience and collaboration in Nevada, HPN supports community-led solutions to meet local, whole-person needs. By focusing on caring for children and older adults, Health Plan of Nevada Medicaid is helping to support healthier families and communities across the state.