Dedham Council On Aging Receives Grant Funding From Beth Israel Deaconess Needham

Press release from the Town of Dedham:

04/22/2022 12:00 PM

The Dedham Council on Aging has received a total of $18,000 in grant funding from the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham that will be used to help fund a new social work position.

Spread over three years, the grant funding will help to fund the cost of hiring a part-time social worker to the staff at the Ames Senior Center.

“We are thrilled to receive the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham Grant for $18,000.00,” said Council on Aging Director Sheila Pransky. “These funds will help us hire a part-time social worker to begin to address the great need for mental health services for our older adults in Dedham.

She added that the need for support groups and counseling of our older adults is needed now more than ever over the past several years, brought on by the isolation and stress resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

With a great emphasis on support groups for bereavement, caregivers, and other mental health issues, the social worker will help to fill gaps in mental health services presently available in Dedham. The social worker will also continue the Council on Aging’s existing efforts to collaborate with other Town departments, including Veterans, Police, and Fire, to provide services to those they encounter, creating a system of consistency and continuity within the community.

“We would like to thank the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham for their generous support of our Dedham Council on Aging,” said Pransky.

To learn more about services provided by the Council on Aging, please visit www.dedham-ma.gov/coa or contact Director Sheila Pransky via email at spransky@dedham-ma.gov or by calling 781-751-9495, ext. 1.

This press release was produced by the Town of Dedham. The views expressed here are the author’s own.