Addressing Loneliness & Isolation In Individuals With I/DD & Mental Health Challenges: The Advocates Case Study
1:00 â 2:00 pm ET
Loneliness is a widespread issue among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and mental health challenges. Studiesâand the firsthand experience of service providersâshow that these populations face significantly higher rates of loneliness due to limited social opportunities, isolation, and poor overall well-being.
In this one-hour live session, Jeff Keilson, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning, and Pam McKillop, Director of Community Outreach Initiatives, will present The Friendship Project from Advocates. They will explore the impact of loneliness, the development and structure of the projectâincluding funding, staffing, partnerships, and implementationâand share project outcomes.
The presentation will also include personal stories of connection and key lessons learned through the initiative.
Executive attendees will learn:
- Why building social connections is critical for people with disabilities
- How community members can volunteer to make a meaningful difference
- How to launch a Friendship Project in their own organization
Featured Speakers
-
Jeff Keilson, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning, AdvocatesJeff Keilson, Senior Vice-President for Strategic Planning, has more than 40 years of experience working with elders, people with autism, intellectual and other developmental disabilities, and persons with mental health needs and their families. His experience is focused on developing and evaluating comprehensive local and state-wide systems of services, including family supports, residential, day and employment, and health care for people who are poor and have Medicaid and Medicare. He has worked with and provided leadership in developing services to support people to move to new homes in the community from state developmental centers, state hospitals, and nursing homes. At Advocates, Jeff is responsible for directing the implementation of a more person and family centered system of services. He also provides leadership in supporting Advocatesâ strategic growth, building partnerships, and directing marketing and fundraising efforts. -
Pam McKillop, Director of Community Outreach Initiatives, AdvocatesPamâs journey with Autism Alliance began in 1993, when she was invited to join a group of parents who were meeting in Ashland to share information regarding their children with autism. While her 5-year-old daughter Kate had yet to be diagnosed, she knew she had found a home. That small group of families eventually grew to become Autism Alliance. In 1998, Pam was asked to join the Board of Directors, a position she held until becoming a staff member of the Alliance in 2013 first as an Autism Waiver Broker and then as Executive Co-Director with Allison Daigle. As of Fall 2024, Pam continues to work with the Autism Alliance and is now the Director of Community Outreach Initiatives at Advocates. Pam has a degree in psychology from Assumption College and had a twenty year career teaching preschoolers and kindergartners. She was the chair of her local special education parent advisory council for 10 years, and a coach for the area Special Olympics Track and Field Team.
Registration is free and requires an OPEN MINDS Circle account, which you consent to OPEN MINDS creating on your behalf if one does not exist. For access to the full line of market intelligence including executive briefings, industry news, state and organizational profiles, RFPs, and datasets from the specialty health and human services market contact us at 855-559-6827 or info@openminds.com to become an OPEN MINDS member.