Who We Are: Administrator and Staff
Eldercare Partners Administrator:
Krista O’Connor started her position as the Eldercare Partners Administrator for the Strategic Alliance for Senior Services in February, 2007. Ms. O’Connor holds a Master of Arts degree in Health and Human Services Administration. In addition, during the past ten years, she has held a number of management positions in the local health care and human services industry; including HealthPartners, UCare Minnesota and the Neighborhood Health Care Network. Her focus has been in the areas of managed care programming, health promotion, grant and contract compliance and project management for organizations serving the uninsured and underinsured populations. Ms. O’Connor can be reached at krista.oconnor@darts1.org or 651-234-2251.
Care Management and Caregiver Services Staff:
Barb Cooley, Licensed Social worker, MS in Continuing Education with a focus on Human Services, has several years experience working with families and caregivers impacted by chronic illness. Barb has joined the team at Wilder Foundation and her focus will be providing caregiver support in Ramsey county.
Deb Hoger, Licensed Social Worker, has worked with Senior Community Services as a senior outreach worker since 1991, working with older adults and their families as a care manager and caregiver coach and counselor. Deb often facilitates family meetings and she arranges a series of caregiver education classes.
Gayle Wright Fickbohm, Licensed Social Worker and Certified Case Manager, has worked with elders and their caregivers for over 20 years. At Senior Community Services, Gayle does caregiver coaching and counseling and provides care management services. She also facilitates Caregiver Education and Support Groups and ongoing Caregiver Support Groups.
Kathy Pansegrau, BS, Social Work, is a service coordinator for DARTS, working with residents in a West St. Paul apartment building and coaching and counseling family caregivers. She also has experience in care management with mental health clients.
Lee Ann Eiden, MSW, Licensed Graduate Social Worker, has served seniors for many years in independent housing and long term care settings prior to coming to Senior Community Services. Lee Ann provides care management and caregiver coaching as well as facilitating ongoing Caregiver Support Groups.
Lori Angus, Licensed Social Worker, joined the Senior Community Services staff as a senior outreach worker in 1987 after doing advocacy work at Little Brothers, Friends of the Elderly. Laurie does caregiver coaching and counseling and provides outreach to seniors by way of her special interest in working with isolated seniors who have mental health issues.
Lynn Cibuzar, Licensed Social Worker, is a service coordinator for DARTS. Lynn works with seniors to determine needed services and with families to support their caregiving efforts with coaching, counseling, and care management. She has worked at DARTS since 1990 and is a leading presenter of education sessions on aging and caregiving issues.
Marian Danielson, Licensed Independent Social Worker, MSW, has been a senior outreach worker with Senior Community Services since 1994, providing care management and caregiver coaching and counseling. She has had experience in hospice, crisis counseling, adult protection, and working with people with multiple sclerosis.
Mary Cordell, Licensed Social Worker, is a service coordinator for DARTS. She works with older adults in Dakota County to identify and coordinate needed services and supports family caregivers through coaching and care management. Mary also has experience in service planning for adults with disabilities and volunteer management.
Missy Campbell, MA, has worked with seniors and caregivers for over two years. Prior to joining HSI, she was a member of the mental health department at the Minnesota Veterans Home - Minneapolis. Missy received a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas. She has over 45 hours of post-degree training in caregiver and aging issues and her specialty areas include family caregiving (including Alzheimer's caregiving) and transitions/adjustments related to aging.
Sandra Pranschke, MSW, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, provides care management, caregiver coaching, and caregiver education. For many years she served older adults and their families through Lutheran Social Services’ Family Counseling and Share-A-Home Programs. Before coming to Senior Community Services in 2008, she worked for DaVita Dialysis as a renal social worker both in transplant and dialysis facilities and as an on-call social worker at Methodist Hospital.
Susan Makela, Licensed Social Worker, is a senior outreach worker, caregiver coach and counselor, and Caregiver Support Group facilitator with Senior Community Services, with a specialized background in conservatorship and Medicare-related health insurance issues. Before coming to SCS in 1996, Susan worked with isolated elders at Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly for 16 years, coordinating volunteers.
Staff Resources:
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