This webinar is hosted in collaboration with the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Disparities in Aging.

Social roles are broadly defined as the parts that we play within society. Roles can be relational—like daughter, partner, or friend—others more clearly communicate status, activity, or identity—like manager, worker, or teacher. Roles are also linked to different levels of acceptance or status within our communities. Our opportunities to hold various roles changes as we age and our circumstances change and we often gain and lose social roles over time. Role losses and gains can impact individual mental health, life satisfaction, and access to resources.  Presenters describe how the concept of valued social roles can shape our work with older adults coping with serious mental illness.  We focus on how people providing health care and assistance to older adults with mental illness can best partner with them to address the impact of social role losses and gains and work together to help these adults enact desired and valued social roles.