HPPAE ALUMNI AND STUDENT COMMITTEE ON LEADERSHIP IN AGING
2009-2010

Cindy Arispe is a native Texan who graduated as an HPPAE alumni from the University of Houston in August 2009. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Newman University in Wichita, Kansas. Personal experiences have developed her interests in Alzheimer's Disease and end-of-life care. Cindy currently works at Hospice Care Team in Texas City as an admissions and bereavement specialist. cindycrispy@hotmail.com.

Jess Bartlett earned his Bachelor of General Studies Degree at Missouri Southern State University at Joplin Missouri in 2005. In 2006, he earned his certificate for Substance Abuse Counseling at Washburn University in Topeka Kansas. He entered the three year, part time Masters of Social Work program at Kansas University in Lawrence Kansas in the fall of 2007. Jess is currently in the last semester of his third year at KU and in the third cohort of students involved with HPPAE. He is completing his Employment Based Practicum at DCCCA in Lawrence, Kansas. His job at DCCCA is as a substance abuse counselor. He facilitates the adolescent Intensive Outpatient Group and a men's aftercare group. He is focusing on Social Work Administration for his practicum. samsluv@hotmail.com.

Hope Burnette Melton is a recent graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University's Master of Social Work Program with a concentration in Administration, Policy and Planning. She had the pleasure of participating in The Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE) throughout both years of her graduate studies. Hope's professional roots are in the areas of social work and non-profit fundraising, but her passion is for older adults. Their unique needs and abilities have driven her interest in advocating for this special population. Hope recently completed the historic Governor's Fellows Program, a special initiative in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is anxious to apply her social work and analytical skills to influence positive systemic changes in the area of gerontological social work and health policy, with a goal of making the aging process easier for seniors, their families, and caregivers. She is excited about collaborating with peers to more broadly encourage the field of gerontological social work as a valid, challenging and rewarding area of practice. burnette.hope@gmail.com.

Rachel Gill received her BA in Biology from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. She spent a number of years working on the Human Genome Project at Baylor College of Medicine before pursuing a degree in social work. In May of 2008, Rachel received her Masters in Social Work and completed the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education fellowship. She completed internships in both hospitals and long term care settings. She is excited to be using her degree in social work, as well as her experience in science and health, working with older adults as the Residential Health Services Director of Westminster Manor, a Continuing Care Retirement Community, in Austin, Texas. gill_rachel@hotmail.com.

John McKean is currently enrolled in the MSW program at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. He stated his Masters Program in January 2009. Previously he owned and managed an insurance agency for 15 years. Currently he has two internships. He has an internship at Elgin Mental Health Center, administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services. In this capacity he works with older adults who have been found to be Not Guilty by Reasons of Insanity for crimes they committed. Helping people with chronic mental illness, substance abuse, and recovery strategies are the main themes that are used with this population. He is developing a strong clinical foundation. He is also an intern at an AgeOptions, the Area Agency on Aging of Suburban Cook County. He has been instrumental in the newly established job club for seniors. His long term goal is to establish transitional housing for the elderly. Specifically he wants to pursue his CADC and MISA accreditations. He is a board member for the GSSWA and is the main liaison with the Illinois Chapter of the NASW. mckejohn@my.dom.edu.

Anne Millheiser MSW, LSW lives in Chicago and works for Catholic Charities through a contract with the Illinois Department on Aging- Elder Abuse and Neglect Program. Through this program, Anne investigates allegations of abuse for individuals 60+ living in a domestic setting. If the allegations are substantiated, Anne provides casework and counseling to both the survivor and the perpetrator(s). Anne graduated with her MSW from Loyola University Chicago and is an alumna of the HPPAE program. Through HPPAE, Anne gained experience in casework, counseling and group work with older adults. Anne also had the opportunity to work with older adults in a hospital setting. Prior to working with older adults, Anne worked as a substance abuse counselor in New York. Anne is committed to increasing awareness about aging issues and debunking myths and stereotypes associated with aging. Anne is an animal lover and a yoga student and is interested in exploring ways in which mindfulness and yoga may complement clinical social work practice to help reduce caregiver stress. aemillheiser@gmail.com .

Sue Murphy will be graduating in Dec '09 with a Masters of Social Work from Loyola University Chicago. She is currently working at Aging Care Connections in suburban Chicago as a case manager and elder abuse investigator. After an internship in hospice and years of caregiving, Sue knows that her passion is working with older adults. She also recognizes that now is the time to develop leadership among social workers to advocate for the fastest growing segment of the population. Through collaboration, she knows that we are well suited to meet the needs of seniors with the dignity and respect they deserve. Sue has been a grass roots community volunteer for twenty years and is currently in her tenth year as an elected member of a school board. She has been married for 30 years and has four children, ages 26, 24, 20, and 18. smurphy1146@sbcglobal.net.

Jessica Myers iis a graduate of the California University of Pennsylvania, where she specialized in Rural Advanced Generalist Studies. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work degree from California University of Pennsylvania, graduated Summa Cum Laude, and earned the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award in Social Work for fall 2007 and spring 2008. She also holds an Associate's degree in Human Services: Generalist, from Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. She was the top graduate in her major for this degree as well, and was also nominated for the Distinguished Graduate Award. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Delta Omega, and the Graduate Social Work Student Association. In addition to her educational endeavors, Ms. Myers has four years of full-time employment experience working with aging clients. She has been successful in managing the demands of her full-time educational programs and full-time employment, while enjoying the responsibilities of being a single mother to her adorable four year old son, Darian. In her free time she enjoys volunteering in the community transporting children to church and community activities, as a member and mentor of a local ministry group for single mothers, and as a Christian Education teacher at her church, Building Christ's Kingdom (BCK) Ministry and Worship Center. Ms. Myers looks forward to assuming the role of a leader in the field of social work with aging clients, while promoting the ethical standards of the profession, enhancing the overall quality of life for seniors at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels, and continually contributing to the knowledge base of the social work profession. MYE6651@cup.edu.

Rebecca Narburgh is a Care Coordinator at the Alzheimer's Association in Rochester, New York. She provides consultation and counseling to individuals and families affected by Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. She received her MSW from the University at Buffalo School of Social Work in May 2009 and was a member of the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education. During her coursework, she gained invaluable experience interning at a 586 bed skilled nursing facility as well as a pre-PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly). Rebecca is committed to the field of aging and looks forward to collaborating with others to spur excitement and growth in gerontological social work. rsnarburgh@gmail.com.

Diana Nugiel is a woman dedicated to finding creative innovative programs to help our aging population enjoy the best third age possible. An MSW with a specialty in gerontology, Ms. Nugiel has lived most of her life in Israel where she was instrumental in developing programs enabling seniors to age in their communities. Some of these programs have been recreated in the U.S. as Natural Occurring Retirement Communities (NORC) and other programs currently run by Jewish Family Services around the country. Ms. Nugiel earned her degree from Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, where she was a Hartford gerontology fellow, graduating with highest honors. She was the 2007 recipient of the Society on Aging of New Jersey graduate scholarship and the 2008 Leadership award for Outstanding Student Graduate of a HPPAE program. Currently she is program director for Partners in Caring, a collaborative of six agencies serving seniors and people with disabilities in the Princeton New Jersey area. iacfsw@gmail.com.

Lori Paris, LCSW, is employed at Park View Psychiatric Services as the Director of Long Term Care Liaisons. She provides psychotherapy and works directly with psychiatrists to provide services for over 100 nursing homes throughout Kentucky and Indiana. Lori was awarded the Lois Layne Award (Student Achievement in Gerontology) from the Kentucky Association of Gerontology and the Ruth Middleman Memorial Award for social work principles and ethics in 2007. Lori is also the vice president and treasurer of the Mental Health and Aging Coalition-KIPDA region. She is also active in facilitating Living Well workshops (an evidence based program through Stanford University) for people with chronic illness. Lori also has her Master's degree in human resources but went back to school for social work when she discovered her passion for working with the elderly. lmparis13@aol.com.

Laura Romsdahl, LMSW, received her BA in Sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She pursued her Masters in Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin and developed an interest in gerontology. She was a recipient of the Wolens Nursing Home Practicum Program scholarship during the first year of field placement. This allowed Laura to complete a year long internship in two different long term care facilities. She then received the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE) scholarship. She completed a full time internship through HPPAE with an inpatient hospice unit and co-facilitated a grief support group. In May of 2009, Laura completed her Masters in Social Work with a portfolio in Gerontology. She now works as a medical social worker at Hospice Care of the Southwest. Laura's personal and educational experiences have led to an interest in working with older adults and families at the end of life. Laura is eager for the opportunity and challenge to serve on the committee with peers who share an interest in the field of gerontology. lmr0303@gmail.com.

Joanna Saisan, MSW, came into social work from a health education background. Before returning to graduate school at UCLA, she was a board member of the Northern California Society for Public Health Education, health education coordinator at the Glaucoma Research Foundation and research coordinator for a schizophrenia family education study. She did her GSWEC leadership social work internship at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. Upon graduation, she became a social worker in the VA homeless program, where older adults present special challenges in assessment and placement. She is currently a writer for Helpguide.org, a non-profit website for issues and options related to mental health and aging well. Joanna can be reached at: j.saisan@gmail.com.

Kristen Smith received her MSW from the State University of New York at Albany through the one year Advanced-Standing program. Kristen's passion for working with the aging population was derived from her experiences volunteering within local nursing homes and solidified when she entered the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education HPPAE program. These experiences, combined with previous work as a legislative assistant for a prestigious law firm, paved her way into the macro world of policy. Since earning her MSW in 2008, Kristen has worked as a Program Coordinator for Advocacy with AARP New York on critical legislation for the aging population in the areas of health care, long-term care, financial security and livable communities. KJSmith@aarp.org.

Rachel Tate is a HPPAE-GIFT student at the University of California-Bakersfield. She has spent most of her career working as an advocate for vulnerable older adults and has had extensive experience working with homeless adults, veterans with substance abuse issues. Currently, she is the regional manager for the WISE and Health Aging Ombudsman Program in Pasadena, California. Her leadership skills and dedication to older adults are strong, evidenced by her ability to keep the long term care ombudsman program in place in the Pasadena area, despite severe budget cuts. rayraye@aol.com.