The CARES Program

The Counseling, Advocacy, Referrals, Education, and Services (CARES) Program was designed to address barriers to dental care among older adults, children, low-income, and uninsured patients. Patients may have limited dental care access due to health, financial, transportation, or mental health barriers. Through the program, social workers assist patients referred by dental staff, and offer seminars for staff on working with older adults, communication skills, and behavioral management of patients. Patients participating in the program receive four treatment sessions with social workers over the course of a year to learn relaxation techniques, social skills training, reducing unhealthy belief systems, and pain management skills. Following the treatment sessions, participants receive assistance to minimize barriers to care by telephone, in the CARES office, or in a private setting. The CARES program also conducts outreach presentations in senior centers to discuss dental care needs, services offered, and how social workers can help seniors obtain oral health care.

The goal of the CARES program is to decrease barriers and improve access to dental care.

During the first three years of the program, the number of patients who received access to dental care assistance from a social worker increased from 83 in the first year to 187 in the second (55.6% increase) to 268 in the third year (30.2% increase from year two). During these years, 80% of patients experiencing an identified barrier to dental care were retained through the social work intervention and were able to receive dental care within the past year. This high retention rate implies that a social work intervention can be effective in reducing perceived barriers to dental care.