New Canaan planning team says focus groups will confirm findings, shape outreach for seniors' behavioral health report

Participants at a meeting to plan focus groups for a New Canaan study of seniors' behavioral health said recruitment is on track and that the groups will primarily confirm quantitative findings and inform communication and education strategies.

The report team emphasized that the focus groups are intended to validate broader national and state trends for local application and to help the project craft outreach and education approaches for older residents. Organizers discussed recruitment status by age cohort, several background studies the team is using, potential interview subjects and organizations to consult, and the policy and funding context that may affect implementation.

Jim (committee member) said the team has filled or nearly filled its target quotas in several age cohorts: 14 people in the 80-plus cohort (10 primary, four alternates), 12 in their 70s, and five currently identified in the working 60s group (three men, two women). The committee discussed whether to allow one prospective participant, Ralph Hills, to join by Zoom from Canada and agreed remote participation is possible though “not preferable,” according to meeting remarks.

Organizers identified three national studies they want all members to read before finalizing the report: a Brookings Institution study on the mental health landscape for older adults, an American Psychiatric Association report on older Americans, and the University of Michigan’s national Health and Aging poll (updated every three years). The team also noted a 2023 state study and work by BluePath Health (a California-based consulting group with an East Coast presence) as useful contextual sources.

John (committee member, Social Impact Partners) and others said the focus groups should concentrate on how seniors receive information and how to communicate behavioral-health resources, rather than expecting the groups to produce new quantitative findings. Nina (project staff) was asked to prioritize analysis that translates focus-group results into communication strategies and education tactics for local providers and residents.

The group discussed possible interview targets and convening partners, including Staying Put, STAR, the New Canaan Foundation and New Canaan Alliance, the Behavioral Health Alliance, faith-based organizations and state legislators with experience in Medicaid and insurance policy. One meeting participant urged pulling in legislators such as Lucy Dathan and C.C. Mar to check alignment with Hartford-level initiatives.

Speakers raised funding and workforce concerns that could affect recommendations. The team discussed a recent $105 million ARPA-funded state training effort that is winding down, the state’s addition of $15 million in the current budget to continue parts of that work and a proposal for $45 million in fiscal 2027. The group noted that Medicaid policy and federal-level shifts could significantly affect behavioral-health capacity.

The committee set near-term steps: finish recruiting remaining focus-group participants (with a goal to complete sign-ups within about a week), circulate the three priority background studies to members, expand the interview list of local and state stakeholders, and reconvene in early August to review focus-group results and finalize recommendations. No formal motions or votes were taken during the meeting.

Members emphasized that the report will begin with national context, then state context, and conclude with New Canaan–specific findings and recommendations. The meeting closed with participants agreeing to continue outreach and to provide edits and suggested interview contacts to the report lead.