News  System Failure: The Workforce Crisis' Impact on Persons with Disabilities, Their Families and Caregivers

Room 428, Fourth Floor, Massachusetts State House and on Zoom —  

As part of the Commission's Inaugural National Disability Employment Awareness Month Celebration, we will hold a panel session with key stakeholders who will discuss the current workforce shortage and its impact on consumers, their families and caregivers as well as short term and long term initiatives to overcome this crisis. We will also engage the audience in a Q&A session.

ASL and CART services will be provided.

Facilitators:

Chris White, Vice Chair MA Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities; Road To Responsibility, Inc. President/CEO

Imene Bouziane Saidi, Program Director, MA Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities

Panelists:

Lydia Conley, President/CEO at Association for Behavioral Healthcare
Lydia is President/CEO for the Association for Behavioral Healthcare (ABH). As President/CEO, Lydia is responsible for setting the strategic direction of ABH in consultation with the Board of Directors. Lydia oversees the daily operations of ABH while also serving as ABH’s primary representative to state agencies, the legislature and regulatory bodies. In this role, Lydia works closely with ABH’s 81 member organizations to accomplish the association’s mission to promote and advocate for community-based mental health and addiction treatment services.

Kathleen Jordan, President/CEO at Seven Hills Foundation
Dr. Jordan is the President/Chief Executive Officer at Seven Hills Foundation, an integrated health and human services company with an annual operating budget of $450 million and 4800 employees. In this role, Dr. Jordan oversees the programmatic and clinical aspects of the organization’s 15 affiliate companies in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

Dr. Jordan has been with Seven Hills Foundation for the past 20 years. She speaks frequently on issues related to managed care in long term care settings, mergers and acquisitions, and Data Analytics. In addition to her role at Seven Hills, Dr. Jordan is an adjunct professor at Central Michigan University, where she teaches Strategic Philanthropy, Health Informatics and Communication, and Substance Abuse Services. Her board involvement includes Chairing the Board of the Association of Developmental Disability Providers (ADDP), membership on the Board of the Provider’s Council, and membership on the Board of Shoulder to Shoulder. Dr. Jordan holds a Doctor of Health Administration degree from Central Michigan University, a Masters in Education Administration from Boston College, and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from West Virginia University. She is also a Fellow in the American College of Health Executives.

Bill Yelenak, Chief Operating Officer at the Providers’ Council
Bill is the Chief Operating Officer of the Providers’ Council, the state’s largest human services membership association with more than 210 members across Massachusetts. Yelenak has held a variety of roles at the Council since joining the organization in 2007.

Before joining the Council, Yelenak worked on a gubernatorial campaign and as a journalist covering state and city government for a midsize daily newspaper. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University and a Master’s in Public Administration from Suffolk University.

Chris White, Vice Chair MA Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities; Road To Responsibility, Inc. President/CEO
Dr. White has been working in the human services field since 1980 in a variety of roles and sectors. He received graduate training in Counseling Psychology from Harvard University (Masters ‘84) and Northeastern University (CAGS ’87; Doctorate ‘92). He is currently the President/CEO of Road To Responsibility, Inc., a large, private, nonprofit corporation serving adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities throughout Eastern Massachusetts. Dr. White is a Board Member of two human services trade associations (The Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers and the Mass. Council of Human Services Providers) and is a Commissioner and Vice-Chair of the MA Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

He is also a Licensed Psychologist and a Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst. He served as a Lecturer in the Graduate Department of Counseling and Applied Psychology at Northeastern University from 1994-2014. He has extensive clinical and management experience with expertise in the areas of developmental disabilities, applied behavior analysis, Positive Behavior Support (PBS), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), neuropsychological and psychological assessment, forensic psychology, brief therapeutic interventions, and the treatment of complex psychological disorders.

ASL and CART services will be available.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Commission's Program Director Imene Bouziane Saidi at imene.bouzianesaidi@mass.gov