Guide to a Happier Later Life: Inside CASL’s Depression Awareness Workshop for Seniors

Every September, National Suicide Prevention Month gives organizations like CASL a moment to pause and highlight the work happening year-round to support older adults’ emotional wellbeing. Earlier this year, that work took the form of two workshops at Chinatown Elderly Apartments — sessions that are still shaping how CASL and the building’s staff support residents today. 

Story by Ruby Tan, LCSW, Certified Dementia Practitioner, MoCA Certified Rater, Brain Health and Caregiving Program Manager 

On March 4 and March 11, CASL’s Behavioral Health team brought a program called 開心老友記 – 幸福老年指南講座 (“Happy Companions: A Guide to Wellbeing in Later Life”) to Chinatown Elderly Apartments. Roughly 50 older adults attended each session, filling the room to hear from CASL Behavioral Health Case Manager Ms. Cheng, a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) who led both sessions. 

The workshop opened with something simple: an invitation. Participants were told that sharing was voluntary, that they could step away at any point if a topic felt too heavy, and that ups and downs in mood are a normal part of every stage of life. That framing mattered — it gave the room permission to engage honestly with a topic that isn’t always easy to talk about. 

Rather than starting from what can go wrong, the workshop began with what makes later life feel good — good food, time with family, restful sleep, and staying connected to others. From there, it built toward the elements that support wellbeing over time: regular routines that create a sense of safety, a sense of purpose and being needed, and self-compassion, including the willingness to accept help. 

With that foundation in place, participants learned to recognize the warning signs of depression — both in themselves and in the people around them. That included behavioral changes like losing interest in favorite activities, changes in sleep or appetite, and withdrawing from social life, as well as emotional signs like a growing sense of hopelessness or feeling like a burden to others. 

The workshop also addressed a harder subject directly: thoughts of not wanting to be here anymore. LSW Cheng helped participants understand that having such a thought is more common than people assume, that a thought is not the same as an action, and that naming a painful feeling out loud can actually lower risk rather than raise it. 

To put the material into practice, participants took part in role-play exercises, pairing up to act out a conversation between a senior experiencing emotional distress and a friend checking in on them — practicing exactly the kind of gentle, low-pressure conversation starters that can open the door to real support.

Beyond the content itself, the workshops opened a channel between CASL Behavioral Health and Chinatown Elderly Apartments that continues to matter. Staff at the building gave overwhelming positive feedback on both sessions and have welcomed future collaborations. The workshops also made it easier for residents and building staff to know how to refer someone to CASL for support, and CASL is now exploring how to build on that connection to reach more residents who could benefit from behavioral health services. 

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available: 

• A primary care doctor 

• CASL Behavioral Health: 312-791-0418 

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 911, go to the nearest emergency room, or call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7 in multiple languages. 

CASL’s Behavioral Health program offers counseling, case management, education and advocacy for individuals and families across Chicago’s Chinatown community. To learn more, contact CASL at 312-791-0418.