About
A Clearinghouse of Resources for People to Connect and Engage
Commit to Connect is a cross-sector initiative, launched by the Administration for Community Living, to fight social isolation and loneliness by helping people connect and engage to build the social connections they need to thrive. The initiative is led by organizations that are dedicated to improving engagement, well-being and access to services for older adults and people with disabilities across the United States. This includes: AARP Foundation, ADvancing States, AT3 (the state Assistive Technology Act programs technical assistance resource center), Georgia Tech Pass it On Center, LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technology (CAST), Meals on Wheels America, Older Adults Technology Services (OATS), The Coalition to End Social Isolation and the Foundation for Social Connection, The Colorado Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering, The Consumer Technology Association Foundation, The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging and The National Council on Aging.
As the Coordinating Center for the initiative, AARP Foundation is organizing these efforts.
The Commit to Connect Clearinghouse is an online platform with information of accessible, affordable and easy to use resources to fight social isolation and loneliness.
Two stakeholder groups inform the governance and maintenance of the clearinghouse of resources:
- The Scientific Advisory Group is responsible for data analysis, strategic assessment of interventions, and best practice solutions.
- The Clearinghouse Council supports the development of the clearinghouse focused on the dissemination of relevant interventions. Furthermore, the Council ensures the clearinghouse flourishes and continuously evolves in its ability to assess and match needs to resources that are accessible, affordable and easy to use.
The Commit to Connect Nationwide Network of Champions is a group of passionate leaders and innovators dedicated to the Commit to Connect vision and to advancing solutions to end social isolation and loneliness. We are actively recruiting Champions at the local, state and national levels. Apply to join the Network here.
Current Phase of Development
The Clearinghouse, and CommitToConnect.org overall, are currently in alpha testing. The Coordinating Center is leading the ongoing development of the site with continuous learning and improvements from user feedback.
A public launch of Commit to Connect, inclusive of the Clearinghouse and its resources, is planned for Fall 2021.
Questions, comments and critiques about the Clearinghouse may be submitted to [email protected]
Commit to Connect Site Feedback
Dissemination of Proven Interventions to Address Social Isolation Nationwide
The Steering Committee will be led by AARP Foundation and be comprised of representatives from a diverse group of organizations that are dedicated to the goal and related initiatives to reach individuals who are socially isolated. The Steering Committee will inform shared principles to guide initiatives across organizations. To start in the Fall of 2020, the Steering Committee will consist of interim planning members who will focus on developing a project charter and selecting longer-term membership.
The Steering Committee will be comprised of 10- 14 organizations from diverse background and with a wide range of content expertise to inform solutions to decrease isolation throughout the three main efforts: Challenge, Clearinghouse, and Campaign.
Members
- AARP Foundation
- ADvancing States
- AT3 (the state Assistive Technology Act programs technical assistance resource center)
- Georgia Tech Pass it On Center
- LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technology (CAST)
- Meals on Wheels America
- Older Adults Technology Services (OATS)
- The Coalition to End Social Isolation and the Foundation for Social Connection
- The Colorado Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering
- The Consumer Technology Association Foundation
- The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
- The National Council on Aging
Rigorous Vetting Process for Programs and Technological Solutions
The Scientific Advisory Group will be responsible for data analysis, strategic assessment of interventions, and determining tiers of inclusion for social isolation solutions, which will then be communicated to the Clearinghouse Council for decision-making around implementation and scale.
The charge of the Scientific Advisory Group will be to help provide clearinghouse users with transparency regarding the level of evidence associate with the programs and technologies suggested. The Scientific Advisory Group will Identify innovative/emerging technologies and programs addressing social isolation; determine criteria for inclusion in Clearinghouse, particularly for those that have not yet been rigorously tested/fully evidence-based; recommend a screening mechanism/tool for people coming into the clearinghouse and ways to monitor and build on it.
The Scientific Advisory Group will be comprised of up to 10 individuals from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of expertise in evaluation and evidence-based programs related to social isolation. Members will serve 2-3-year terms, with the option to renew membership.
Members
John Tschida, Executive Director, Assoc. of University Centers on Disabilities
John Tschida, Executive Director, Assoc. of University Centers on Disabilities
John Tschida has spent more than 20 years using data and research to drive policy change and service development for individuals with disabilities. Before joining AUCD in February of 2017, he was appointed as director if the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. NIDILRR is the federal government’s premier applied research agency impacting individuals with disabilities.
Prior to joining NIDILRR in 2014, he served as director of public policy and innovation at Allina Health in Minnesota, where he helped integrate medical and community-based services for people with disabilities. At the Courage Center, Minnesota’s leading nonprofit provider of rehabilitation services, Mr. Tschida was vice president of public affairs and research. There, he built and directed a public policy and research team that focused on defining and achieving better outcomes for people with disabilities. He also led a statewide, cross-disability legislative coalition of more than 100 provider and advocacy organizations.
Mr. Tschida, who has lived with a spinal cord injury since 1993, has a master’s degree in public policy and a health services research certificate from Georgetown University, and a bachelor of arts from Macalester College
Dr. Matthew Smith, Co-Director, Texas A&M University Center for Population Health and Aging
Dr. Matthew Smith, Co-Director, Texas A&M University Center for Population Health and Aging
Matthew Lee Smith, PhD, MPH, CHES, FAAHB, FGSA is the co-director of the Texas A&M University Center for Population Health and Aging (CPHA). He is an associate professor in the Texas A&M School of Public Health and adjunct associate professor in The University of Georgia College of Public Health. Smith serves as the co-lead of the Texas Active for Life® Coalition. He holds leadership roles in organizations including the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), American Public Health Association (APHA), American Society on Aging (ASA), and American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB). Smith is a Fellow of AAHB and GSA, recipient of multiple national awards (early career, leadership in aging, mentorship), and has received numerous innovative program and best paper awards.
Recognizing health status is influenced by a vast interconnected set of social, behavioral, and environmental determinants, Smith has devoted his career to create synergistic partnerships and initiatives to encourage positive lifestyles and reduce rates of preventable morbidity and mortality. His research and evaluation efforts investigate socio-ecological impacts on health risk behaviors across the life-course, with a specific emphasis on social isolation and evidence-based programming for older adults (e.g., fall prevention, disease self-management). Smith has established expertise in the evaluation of programs and innovations pertaining to an array of public health issues. Smith has (co-) authored over 260 peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals, received over 20 research-based awards, and delivered over 450 conference presentations and invited lectures. He received his bachelor’s degree in Public Health Education and Master of Public Health (MPH) from Indiana University-Bloomington and his doctoral degree in Health Education from Texas A&M University. He also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health.
Dr. Eden Litt, UX Researcher, Facebook
Dr. Eden Litt, UX Researcher, Facebook
Eden Litt, PhD, is a lead strategic researcher at Facebook. Utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods, her work explores the impact that social media has on some of today’s biggest societal challenges including topics like loneliness, well-being, and polarization. The ultimate goal of her research and strategy work is to help learn to harness the power of social media, while reducing its risks. Dr. Litt’s empirically-driven strategic advice has been used to help make key decisions on technologies that billions of people use globally. She has presented her research to government officials, policymakers, academic researchers, the press, and non-profits around the world
Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Researcher, Brigham Young University
Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Researcher, Brigham Young University
Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad’s research is focused on the long-term health effects of social connection. Her work has been seminal in the recognition of social isolation and loneliness as risk factors for early mortality. Dr. Holt-Lunstad has worked with government organizations aimed at addressing this issue. She has provided expert testimony in a US Congressional Hearing, provided expert recommendations for the US Surgeon General Emotional Well-Being in America Initiative, and is currently a member of the technical working group for the UK Cross Departmental Loneliness Team. She also serves as a scientific advisor for the Australian Coalition to End Loneliness, the Foundation for Art & Healing, and research advisory panel for AARP Services, Inc., United Healthcare, and Rural Aging. She has been awarded the Citation Award for Excellence in Research by the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the George A. Miller Award from the American Psychological Association, the Mary Lou Fulton Young Scholar Award, the Marjorie Pay Hinkley Endowed Chair Research Award, and is a Fellow for the Association of Psychological Science. Her work has been highlighted in the BBC 100 Breakthrough Health Discoveries in 2015, and has been covered in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, Scientific American, This American Life, The Today Show, and other major media outlets.
Larry Goldberg, Head of Accessibility, Verizon Media
Larry Goldberg, Head of Accessibility, Verizon Media
Larry Goldberg leads Accessibility at Verizon Media. In 1990, he founded and directed the WGBH National Center for Accessible Media, an R&D center for new media policy, standards and innovation. Prior to that, he directed WGBH’s Media Access Group, the world’s first caption and audio description production unit. Specialties include access technologies on all platforms and all forms of content, including video, innovations in media delivery and use, R&D, policy development, user/community/customer relations, holder of patent for invention in film industry, consultation for major high technology companies, Federal and state agencies, members of Congress and staffs; business development. Crafted and implemented Federal legislation and regulations pertaining to technology accessibility.
Dr. Louise Hawkley, Senior Research Scientist, NORC at the University of Chicago
Dr. Louise Hawkley, Senior Research Scientist, NORC at the University of Chicago
Dr. Louise Hawkley’s research focuses on the role of psychosocial factors, particularly loneliness and social isolation, in explaining individual differences in health and well-being in older adulthood. Her current work on the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Prior to her position at the NORC, she was Director of the Social Neuroscience Laboratory in the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago where she was an investigator on NIA-funded studies of loneliness and its antecedents and consequences in middle to older adulthood. She was also a co-investigator on a randomized clinical trial funded by the Department of the Army to evaluate the effects of a social resilience intervention on Soldiers’ job performance and health outcomes. She has given invited lectures and panel presentations for academic and service institutions in Spain, Hungary, France, England, as well as the United States. Hawkley is a member of the American Society on Aging and the Gerontological Society of America.
Dr. Tracey Gendron, Chair / Assoc. Professor Gerentology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Tracey Gendron, Chair / Assoc. Professor Gerentology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr.Tracey Gendron is the Chair and an associate professor of Gerontology at Virginia Commonwealth University. She teaches several graduate service-based courses including grant writing, research methods and biology of aging. Tracey takes an all-inclusive approach to teaching about aging, particularly highlighting those understudied and underrepresented groups that are at increased risk of negative health outcomes based on discrimination. Her personal and professional goal is to raise awareness of how deeply embedded ageism is within all cultures and settings.
Dr. Thomas Cudjoe, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Dr. Thomas Cudjoe, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Dr. Thomas Kofi Mensah Cudjoe is a Geriatric Medicine Specialist in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated with honors from Rutgers R W Johnson Medical School (cam / New Bruns / Pisc) in 2012. Having more than 8 years of diverse experiences, especially in Geriatric Medicine. Dr. Thomas Kofi Mensah Cudjoe affiliates with Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, cooperates with many other doctors and specialists in many medical groups including Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Cudjoe is a premier researcher on social isolation with a specific focus on low-income communities.
Verena Cimarolli, Ph.D., Senior Health Services Researcher, LeadingAge LTSS Center
Verena Cimarolli, Ph.D., Senior Health Services Researcher, LeadingAge LTSS Center
Verena Cimarolli, Ph.D., is senior health services research associate in the Washington, DC, office of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston. She holds doctoral and master’s degrees in applied developmental psychology from Fordham University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from City College of the City University of New York.
Cimarolli’s research focuses on identifying psychosocial challenges faced by older adults with chronic illness and their adaptation to these challenges. Her research also identifies best strategies and interventions for supporting older adults with chronic illness and their families. In this area, she has evaluated initiatives offering person-centered care, substance abuse recovery services in post-acute settings, and technology interventions for frail older adults.
Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, FAAN, SVP and Chief Health Equity, Cedars-Sinai
Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, FAAN, SVP and Chief Health Equity, Cedars-Sinai
Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, FAAN, is Cedars-Sinai’s inaugural senior vice president and chief health equity officer. Dr. Burnes Bolton, the inaugural holder of the James R. Klinenberg, MD, and Lynn Klinenberg Linkin Chair in Nursing, was named vice president of nursing in 1991. In June 2019, she retired from the role of senior vice president and chief nurse executive and assumed her current role.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Dr. Burnes Bolton has impacted healthcare policy, clinical practice and patient care nationally while elevating the role and enhancing the professional training of nurses. Her leadership activities have included serving as president of the American Organization of Nurse Executives, the National Black Nurses Association and the American Academy of Nursing. She served as chair of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Advisory Committee for Transforming Care at the Bedside, Veteran Affairs Commission on Nursing and vice chair of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing at the Institute of Medicine. She is a trustee of Case Western Reserve University and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Dr. Burnes Bolton has received numerous honors. She was named a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing in 2016 and received the 2016 TRUST Award from the American Hospital Association for visionary leadership in healthcare. In 2015, she was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree from the State University of New York. She is the recipient of two additional lifetime achievement awards from the National Black Nurses Association and the American Organization for Nurse Leaders.
Dr. Burnes Bolton earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Arizona State University and a master of science degree in nursing, master’s degree in public health and a doctorate degree in public health from UCLA.
A Diverse Group of Organizations Dedicated to Reaching and Engaging Socially Isolated Individuals
The Clearinghouse Council will support the development of a clearinghouse focused on the dissemination of relevant interventions to address social isolation at a community, state and national level. The Council will direct the governance and maintenance of technologies and inform the continued evolution of the Clearinghouse’s ability to assess and match needs to accessible, affordable and easy to use resources, as well as long term sustainability of the website. There will be continued information flow between the Council and the Scientific Advisory Group, the Council will focus on translating scientific findings to a more general audience. They will work to identify gaps in the interventions housed within the clearinghouse so that there are robust offerings that meet the needs of our target populations.
The Council will focus on providing a comprehensive inventory of solutions and manage the overall direction of the project. Initial efforts will focus on providing a comprehensive online platform with expectations to eventually encompass building an evidence-base clearinghouse for social isolation. The clearinghouse will aim to help users learn to address social isolation and identify gaps where interventions are needed.
Members
Cristen Reat, Co-Founder & Program Director, BridgingApps.org
Cristen Reat, Co-Founder & Program Director, BridgingApps.org
Cristen Carson Reat is the Co-Founder and Program Director of BridgingApps.org, a program of Easter Seals Greater Houston. BridgingApps provides resources, education, and information on apps and mobile devices to help people with disabilities target and improve skills to reach their highest levels of physical and cognitive development. Cristen holds a M.A. degree from the University of Texas at Austin, graduated from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California and is certified through the Assistive Technology Applications Program at California State University. She is a proud veteran of the United States Army, where she served as a linguist and has worked in education for fifteen years, most of that time at an educational non-profit. She has written articles on apps for special needs populations that have appeared in National Down Syndrome Communicator, TechEdge Magazine and Parenting Special Needs Magazine. She is the mother of two sons, one of whom has Down syndrome.
Carla Perissinotto, MD, MHS, Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, UCSF
Carla Perissinotto, MD, MHS, Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, UCSF
In 2017, Dr. Carla Perissinotto was appointed as the first Associate Chief for Geriatrics Clinical Programs at UCSF. Given the growth of clinical programs, the associate chief oversees and manages our both our inpatient and outpatient clinical programs which include Care at Home, Geriatrics consultation in the outpatient setting, and the new Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) unit at Moffitt-Long Hospital, Orthopedic CO-Management programs and programs which are in development.
Carla is an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine. Carla is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. Carla is dedicated to working in both community and academic settings. Her main work is in UCSF Care at Home–which provides medical care to home bound older adults, and in embedded Geriatrics consult practices. From 2008-2017, Carla served as a primary care and consulting Geriatrician at the Over60 Health Center in Berkeley.
Carla joined the faculty in August 2010 as a clinician-educator and has received multiple awards for her excellence in teaching. Carla is passionate about working with diverse communities and improving the training of internal medicine residents and all learners in the care of elderly patients. Carla also has a special interest in teaching primary care doctors how to more effectively recognize cognitive impairment in the outpatient primary care setting. Carla was also a recipient of the highly-competitive HRSA Geriatric Academic Career Award 2010-2015, with which she developed curricula to teach a wide range of learners on the care of elderly patients in diverse settings. Carla has also gained national and international recognition for her research on the effects of loneliness on the health of older adults. She is frequently invited to discuss her research and discuss the clinical and policy implications of the health effects of loneliness.
Tim Connor, Contracted Evaluator, UW Population Health Institute in support of the Wisconsin DHS
Tim Connor, Contracted Evaluator, UW Population Health Institute in support of the Wisconsin DHS
Tim Connor has an educational background in sociology and public administration and has worked for 30 years evaluating mental health and substance abuse programs. He has previously been a member of the national evaluation team evaluating the children’s mental health system of care initiatives funded by the federal Center for Mental Health Services and has served as a Section Chief for the Wisconsin Bureau of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services overseeing budget, contracts, evaluation, and the implementation of select mental health programs. He now works at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Population Health Institute evaluating mental health programs to help with policy development, program planning, and local program quality improvement efforts for initiatives funded by the Wisconsin’s State Department of Health Services. Selected areas of his evaluation research include the use of psychiatric hospitalizations and the involuntary detention process, assessing unmet mental health need in the population, and the use of evidence-based practices.
Stephen Ewell, Executive Director, CTA Foundation
Stephen Ewell, Executive Director, CTA Foundation
Stephen Ewell is executive director of the Consumer Technology Association Foundation, a charitable foundation with the mission of linking seniors and people with disabilities with technology to enhance their lives. They support programs providing independence, purpose and vital connections for people across the country. Steve graduated from Drew University with a Bachelors of Arts and earned his MBA and Masters of Science in information and telecommunications systems from Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School.
He serves on the Advisory Councils for the Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering (CIDE) at University of Colorado and the Enhancing Neurocognitive Health, Abilities, Networks & Community Engagement (ENHANCE) at Weill Cornell.
Sara A. Link, Director, No Wrong Door Virginia Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services
Sara A. Link, Director, No Wrong Door Virginia Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services
Sara Link directs No Wrong Door Virginia, a statewide initiative streamlining access to long term service and supports through person-centered planning. In 2016, Sara joined Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, as strategist monitoring options counseling service standards and developing policy standards for implementation of a statewide person-centered single point of entry system. Sara formerly directed a partnership between Senior Connections, The Capital Area Agency on Aging and Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Gerontology for livable communities and formerly served as analyst for New York City Office of the Mayor and Department for the Aging. Sara has led research studying older adult services, social isolation, and community-based supports. Sara’s work in person-centered care was informed by her experience as an educator, community organizer, applied researcher, funder, policymaker, and administrator.
Throughout a career that has largely focused on serving older adults, Sara has designed evidence-based solutions that have utilized geographic information system (GIS) data and mapping to improve utilization of senior centers and to identify pockets of regional social isolation among older adults. Sara and her team are currently expanding the number of statewide person-centered thinking trainers and incorporating trauma-informed care and ageism disruption into the statewide person-centered planning curriculum for the aging and disability services workforce. Sara holds a Master of Science degree in Urban Policy and Management and formerly served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala.
Sandy Markwood, Executive Director, N4A
Sandy Markwood, Executive Director, N4A
Sandy Markwood is a national advocate for aging issues and a champion for ensuring that older adults have the best supports to age well at home and in their communities. As the CEO of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) since 2002, she is committed to ensuring that our society values and supports people across the lifespan. This commitment has taken many forms, including advocacy with multiple administrations and on Capitol Hill for the passage of legislation aimed at supporting older adults, including access to critical information, in-home services and caregiver support.
Sandy has more than 30 years’ experience in the development and delivery of aging, health, human services, housing and transportation programs in counties and cities across the nation. Prior to joining n4a, Sandy served as the Deputy Director of County Services at the National Association of Counties where she took a lead role in research, training, conference planning, program development, technical assistance and grants management. Sandy holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Virginia.
Mustafa Kapadia, Global Practice Leader, Digital Transformation & Innovation, Google
Mustafa Kapadia, Global Practice Leader, Digital Transformation & Innovation, Google
Mustafa Kapadia is passionate about creating great products. He is at his best and happiest when he is helping product teams innovate, create products that their customers will love, and ultimately helping large enterprises win in an increasingly digital world. Over the last 17+ years, he has helped over 50+ Fortune 500 organizations transform – by helping them build products, set up and run innovation labs, and adopt new ways of working. His expertise is in digital transformation, product development, agile, design thinking, devops, cloud, lean, and application development etc. He is currently the Global Practice Leader at Google for Digital Transformation. He is responsible for helping Google’s top 20 clients transform and innovate with Google.
Dr. Alison Bryant, SVP Research, AARP
Dr. Alison Bryant, SVP Research, AARP
Dr. Alison Bryant leads the Research Center for AARP, integrating insights and ideas that help the organization, consumers, and external stakeholders understand, engage with, and innovate for the 50+ consumer and their families. She is a renowned expert on the impact of media, technology, and play on consumers. Prior to AARP, Alison was the founder and co-CEO of PlayScience, a research and design firm that led innovation around branding, content creation and development for major global companies. Under her leadership, PlayScience partnered with dozens of marquee family brands, including Sesame Workshop, Disney, Girl Scouts, and many others. Alison was also Senior Director of Digital Research & Strategy for the Nickelodeon/MTV Networks Kids & Family Group.
Before joining Nickelodeon, she was an assistant professor of communication at Indiana University. Alison has three edited books -The Children’s Television Community, Television and the American Family (2nd Ed), and Service-Learning in the University Classroom – and over 30 research articles and chapters. Alison earned her Ph.D. from the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California
Majd Alwan, SVP of Technology & Business Strategy / Executive Director, LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST)
Majd Alwan, SVP of Technology & Business Strategy / Executive Director, LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST)
Majd Alwan, Ph.D., a noted researcher and authority on aging-services technologies, is LeadingAge’s senior vice president of technology, and executive director of the LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST). Dr. Alwan is responsible for creating and leading a network of technology companies, providers and research institutions focused on technology solutions for an aging society. The network advances the interests of older consumers, caregivers and providers and fosters opportunities for collaboration between provider organizations, technology companies, and research institutions in exploring product development, testing prototypes, evaluating technology and deploying technology-enabled care model.
Prior to joining CAST, Majd served as an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Robotics and Eldercare Technologies Program at the University of Virginia’s Medical Automation Research Center. His research interests there included passive functional and health assessment, biomedical instrumentation, medical automation, as well as eldercare and assistive technologies. Dr. Alwan received his Ph.D. in intelligent robotics from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, a Master’s of Science degree in control engineering with distinction from Bradford University, and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Damascus University.
Joshua Pederson, Director, United Way Worldwide
Joshua Pederson, Director, United Way Worldwide
Joshua Pederson has worked and volunteered in the nonprofit industry since 1995. He led the implementation of the 211 service throughout Utah, has served as Director of Services for the Utah Food Bank, as Vice President of United Way of Northern Utah, CEO of United Way of Frederick County, Maryland and as President & CEO of 211 Maryland. Today Joshua works as the 211 Director of Network Operations & Performance for United Way Worldwide.
Joshua has served on multiple boards including, 211 Maryland, the Frederick County Local Management Board, Catholic Community Services, Hood College Enactus Business Advisory Board, First United Bank’s Frederick Advisory Board, West Valley City’s Cultural Arts Foundation, Murray City Arts Council, the Utah State Commission on Volunteers, Salt Lake Community College Thayne Center for Service & Learning, and as board president for the Utah Nonprofits Association.
Today he serves as a Commissioner for the Maryland Governor’s Commission on Service & Volunteerism, as Chair of the Board of Maryland Nonprofits Association and as a Trustee for the Ausherman Family Foundation. Joshua has a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Weber State University.
Dr. Mav Decapua, DNP, PMHNP, Design Researcher, Microsoft
Dr. Mav Decapua, DNP, PMHNP, Design Researcher, Microsoft
Melissa “Mav” Decapua works as a design researcher at Microsoft Research & Insight team, analyzing human behavior and conducting user research. She is also an advocate for nurses on through lobbying efforts. Mav started her career as a clinician, working as a psychiatric nurse, graduating from Vanderbilt University and completing a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP). As a clinician, she worked on a consultation-liaison psychiatry team focusing on the treatment of psychosomatic conditions. practitioner. Today, she’s a product manager working on new healthcare incubations.
Noa Ghersin, Product Manager, Microsoft
Noa Ghersin, Product Manager, Microsoft
Noa Ghersin is a health tech-consultant turned product manager, who is now building AI models to help Microsoft’s enterprise customers offer more personalized experiences. Relevant to this workstream, prior to joining Microsoft, she partnered with the State of Massachusetts through the MIT-based Covid-19 Policy Alliance to help nursing homes manage PPE, testing, and workforce shortages at the onset of the pandemic.
About the Commit to Connect Nationwide Network of Champions
The Commit to Connect Champions are a nationwide network of passionate leaders and innovators at the local, state and national level dedicated to ending social isolation and loneliness. Champions work together to increase awareness of social isolation and loneliness, connect people who are/or at risk of social isolation to social connection programs and technologies, and create more socially connected communities inclusive of all people including older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers. This network of peers supports collaboration through shared learnings and open communication across sectors and perspectives.
Learn more about the role of Commit to Connect Champions here.
The Commit to Connect Nationwide Network of Champions Subcommittee is comprised of advisors and those with expertise on network engagement and community outreach, who will support the network’s development and coordination. Members Include:
- Marty Blair, Executive Director, Rural Institute of The University of Montana
- Adrienne Bradley, Director of Community Impact, ProMedica
- Larry Curley, Executive Director, NICOA
- Nanette Relave, MSW, Senior Director, National I&R Support Center, ADvancing States
- Meredith Hanley, Director of Community Capacity Building, N4A
- Sandra Harris, Volunteer State President, AARP Massachusetts
- Susan Stiles, Senior Director of Product Development and Strategy, NCOA
How to Join the Commit to Connect Nationwide Network of Champions:
Joining the Commit to Connect Nationwide Network of Champions includes three steps:
- Review, complete and submit the application and champion commitment statement. The application outlines instructions on how to submit the form.
- After submitting your application, you’ll receive an email that confirms receipt of the application. We will review and process your application.
- Once the application is approved and processed, new champions will receive an email with access to the online network hub that includes resources and opportunities to network with other champions.
FAQ:
What is Commit to Connect?
To address the growing public health issue of social isolation and loneliness, the Administration for Community Living established a public-private partnership to reach socially isolated older adults and people with disabilities to help them connect with services and supports to build the social connections they need to thrive.
Who can be a Champion?
Champions come from many different backgrounds, communities and perspectives. At the core, Champions are leaders and innovators at the local, state or national level dedicated to ending social isolation and loneliness.
Examples of potential local Champions:
- Staff and volunteer leaders from: community-based organizations, local foundations and philanthropic organizations, educational institutions, long-term care ombudsmen, senior centers, parks and recreation departments, respite providers, senior housing and long-term care (including CCRCs, nursing, assisted living), caregiver associations, food security (e.g. pantries) organizations, animal welfare organizations, faith-based organizations, educators, Centers for Independent Living, health care organizations, disability-focused organizations, veteran service organizations and elected officials/offices
Local Champions can also be self-advocates
Examples of potential state Champions:
- Staff and leaders from: State government, or groups/initiatives within state governments/agencies (e.g. state aging and disability offices, Public Health, Mental Health, Departments of Education), State Colleges/Universities, Long-Term Care State Ombudsmen programs, Nonprofits, Associations and Coalitions and/or private organizations with statewide reach, statewide philanthropic organizations, statewide assistive technology (AT) programs, university centers for excellence in developmental disabilities (UCEDD) network.
Examples of potential national Champions:
- Staff and leaders from: national associations, national organizations, national societies, national coalitions, foundations and philanthropic organizations, technology companies, national housing providers, national health and long-term care providers, national health systems, national health plans and insurance companies, national faith-based organizations, and federal agencies.
What is the benefit of becoming a Champion?
As a network Champion you are a part of a group of passionate leaders and innovators at the local, state and national level dedicated to ending social isolation and loneliness. You will have opportunities to connect to and gain support from a collaborative network via an online network hub and stay informed on the latest research, tools and public awareness efforts from Commit to Connect.
Champions will also be able to participate in opportunities, such as working groups and free networking events/learning opportunities.
What are Champion responsibilities?
Champions will support Commit to Connect’s vision to deliver appropriate, informed solutions to decrease isolation and loneliness among older adults and people with disabilities, and its goal to reach up to 10 million socially isolated people.
Read more about the Champion’s role here.
What is the time commitment?
While on-going engagement is encouraged, the amount of time dedicated to this initiative is dependent on each Champion in the network.
Champions will have opportunities to participate in relevant learning and professional development activities, such as discussion forums, working groups and events. Feedback will be fostered through invitations to participate in occasional brief surveys or polls to help inform the improvement of the network and the overall Commit to Connect Initiative
Champions will also help identify programs and technologies that address social isolation and loneliness and submit them for consideration to be included in the Commit to Connect Clearinghouse.
What information are Champions expected to share?
Champions will help measure success towards the goal of reaching up to 10 million socially isolated older adults and people with disabilities by tracking the total number of individuals reached periodically through their respective work (including through webinars, materials distributed in communities, social media messages etc.)
In addition, Champions will have ways to share feedback, input and thoughts through discussion forums, optional surveys & polls, and more.
What counts as a person reached?
A person reached includes older adults (age 65 and older) and people with disabilities (all ages) who are/or at-risk of social isolation or loneliness who a) join an event or workshop; b) participate in a program; c) receive public awareness materials (such as a post card, social media message or digital asset) that builds awareness of social isolation and loneliness, and helps connect individuals to social connection programs and technologies.
What if I don’t have this exact information or I’m unable to collect this information?
Champions are encouraged to share the most accurate or the best estimate of the total number of individuals reached. We do not require supplemental documentation to verify the person reached data.
How will this information be used?
These aggregate numbers will support efforts to measure success towards the Commit to Connect goal of reaching up to 10 million isolated or lonely people.
Feedback and insights shared through discussion forums and optional surveys and polls will help guide Commit to Connect strategies around how best to disseminate info, reach populations, assess if and how well interventions are working, and assess gaps.
What about measuring beyond reach?
Reach is only a baseline measurement as we evaluate the overall success of the Commit to Connect vision to deliver appropriate, informed solutions to decrease isolation and loneliness.
As Commit to Connect tools and resources evolve, we’re developing methods to measure outputs and/or outcomes at different levels to support the vision of Commit to Connect.
How do I join the network?
Apply to join the network here.