Geriatric Mental Health Center

The Geriatric Mental Health Center at the University of Pittsburgh is a nationally recognized leader in advancing care, research, and education at the intersection of aging and mental health. Established more than 35 years ago as a collaborative initiative between the Division of Geriatric Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry, the Center became one of only two sites in the United States designated by the John A. Hartford Foundation as a Center of Excellence in both Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Psychiatry.

Based in part at the Benedum Geriatrics Center, the Center works closely with the University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) and is an integral component of the Division’s Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) – the first in the nation to be grounded in geriatric outcome measures and certified as a Level 3 PCMH by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

As a local, regional, and national resource, the Center delivers state-of-the-art primary and consultative mental health care for older adults, focusing on conditions such as dementia, depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Its faculty lead a robust portfolio of NIH-funded research, among the largest in the nation, aimed at improving diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of mental health conditions in aging populations.

Beyond research and clinical innovation, the Center serves as a training hub for the next generation of geriatric specialists, offering fellowships in both geriatric medicine and geriatric psychiatry and supporting numerous quality improvement and educational initiatives. Through this multifaceted mission, the Geriatric Mental Health Center continues to define national standards for integrated, evidence-based mental health care for older adults.