INTRODUCING THE PARTNER LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

My Place CT Partner Leadership Council, left to right: Marc Levesque, Center for Healthy Aging; Laura Snow-Robinson, Jewish Senior Services; Damian Humphrey, Enfield Social Services; Julia Evans-Starr, CCCI and Newington Senior Center; Carol Labrecque, Town of Newington; Casey Levene, United Way of Western CT; Alana Kroeber, United Way 2-1-1; Janice Wiggins, AgeWellCT; Dianne Stone, Newington Senior and Disabled Center; Kimberly Haugabrook, Leeway; Paul Ford, CT Dept. of Social Services

The My Place CT Partner network is all about bringing together services, organizations and communities in a seamless network to help older adults and people with disabilities thrive in the community.

To help set direction and best practices for the network, the Department of Social Services established a Partner leadership council. The council represents many facets of the community, including senior centers, community and provider organizations and the Department of Social Services.

This group is responsible for setting goals for the Partner network and creating guidelines to help other Partners connect residents to services in their own communities.

My Place CT Partner leadership council as proving ground

In fact, some leadership council members represent those who qualified for small community grants to identify and connect all the services and resources in their communities.  They are joined by nursing facility providers who received “Rightsizing” Grants, and representatives from the Department of Social Services, the State Department on Aging, and Mintz + Hoke.

The leadership council Partners are engaging with local leaders and organizations to actively seek out the many services and supports in their service area. They are creating “asset maps” that identify all local services, from home care and health programs, to meal programs to social activities to services for seniors or people with disabilities.

This process is a critical step in connecting Connecticut residents to the resources they need as they age or live with a disability. By taking on this challenge, the My Place CT leadership council is acting as a proving ground or learning laboratory so other communities can benefit from their experience. Learn more about asset mapping in future issues of FrontLines.

The My Place CT Partner leadership council welcomes ideas and feedback from all My Place CT Partners. If you have questions, contact Paul Ford, DSS, paul.ford@ct.gov / 860-424-5376, or email: My.Place@CT.gov

My Place CT Partner Leadership Council

Danbury Aging in Place Council (CT Community Care, Inc.) / Age Well CT: Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Sherman, Southbury, Woodbury

Southington Care Center/Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging: Meriden, New Britain, Newington, Southington

Enfield Senior Center: Enfield

Jewish Senior Services: Bridgeport, Fairfield County

Leeway: New Haven

Newington Senior and Disabled Center: Newington

UCONN Center on Aging: Farmington

United Way of Connecticut

State of Connecticut

CT Department on Aging

Department of Social Services