The Speakers
Sarah Pretanvil, RN, BS, MPH
Sarah, a longtime San Diegan is the Community Care Manager for the California Department of Health Care Services - Home and Community Based Alternatives Waiver (HCBA Waiver) Program administered by San Ysidro Health throughout the entire County of San Diego.
Sarah holds degrees in Social Work, Biology, Health Sciences (Public Health and Registered Nursing) and Public Health: Epidemiology. Sarah has received recognition from San Diego State University, California State University, the CDC and Harvard University.
We are honored to have Sarah lead our two sessions on 'Navigating the Paperwork for State/County Assistance'.
Ricardo D. Thomas
Ricardo is a Registered Financial Consultant and Charter Federal Employee Benefits Consultant, with over 30 years of professional financial consulting experience in a range of disciplines. As a practicing financial consultant and President of Thomas-Waddell & Associates, Inc. Ricardo serves clients across the country in asset management, investment guidance and financial education.
Ricardo has served as an adjunct instructor at Delgado Community College, contributing financial writer for Perspectives Magazine and Women of Excellence Magazine. He currently is a board member of the Urban League of Louisiana and is the President of the Urban League of Louisiana Guild.
We are honored to have Ricardo lead our session, 'Exploring the Financial Impacts of Caring for Aging Parents'.
Carrie McClellan
Carrie has 14 years of experience in the field of aging and senior care. She joined the team at ElderHelp in 2011 and her passion for supporting seniors has continued to grow over the years. Prior to ElderHelp, Carrie worked in a local long term care skilled nursing facility as Social Services Director providing support to seniors and their families and assisting with all discharge planning needs for a safe return home. In her current role as Outreach Manager, she builds strong relationships with senior service providers, maintains community awareness of the programs and services available through Elderhelp, provides education to family caregivers, as well as recruits and trains volunteers. Carrie holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Psychology and is dedicated to improving the lives of seniors in the San Diego Community.
We are honored to have Carrie lead our session, 'How to Decide? In-Home Care vs. Assisted Living'.
Dr. Gimel Rogers
Gimel Rogers, Psy.D., ABPP is a licensed psychologist and is Board Certified in Clinical Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. With over 10 years of clinical, professional speaking, and training experience she is the owner of F.I.R.E. Igniting Lives, LLC and a trauma SME Mentor/Consultant. She is an expert witness and assists clients who are involved in criminal, family, and civil cases involving a broad range of forensic issues. Additionally, she works with Veterans who may need evaluations for Nexus letters.
Therapeutically, Dr. Rogers primarily works with survivors who are recovering from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. She utilizes an array of therapeutic interventions with an emphasis on cognitive-behavioral therapy.
We are honored to have Dr. Rogers leading us our discussion on 'Recognizing the Signs of Elder Abuse'.
Matthew Parcasio
Matthew Parcasio, M.A. Gerontology is an Outreach and Education staff member of the Health and Community Engagement Team at the County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency, Aging & Independence Services. Matthew gained his in-depth knowledge of caring for cognitive and memory impaired persons through his extensive professional experience in Adult Day Healthcare, Assisted Living Memory Care, and Non-Medical Home Care settings. He expresses his passion for helping others in the support, education, and resources he provides older adults, dependent adults and their families in San Diego.
We are honored to have Matthew guide us in our 'Overview of the Programs Offered by Aging & Independence Services'.