Greenwich Roundup: Family Centers' Staffer Receives Certificate in Aging

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Family Centers' Staffer Receives Certificate in Aging

Hello:

Attached is a press release announcing that Rebecca Lippel, manager of Family Centers’ Friendly Connections senior outreach program, has been awarded a Certificate in Aging from Boston University. Hope you can use this in a future edition.

Thanks!

Bill Brucker

Communications Director

Family Centers

203-869-4848 (v)

203-869-7764 (f)

www.familycenters.org

Friendly Connections Manager

Earns Certificate in Aging

from Boston University

Greenwich, Conn. (Aug. 10, 2010) – Rebecca Lippel, manager of Family Centers’ Friendly Connections program, recently received a Certificate in Aging from the Boston University School of Social Work's Institute of Geriatric Social Work (IGSW).

Last year, Lippel received a scholarship from the Alliance for Children and Families to participate in five self-paced, interactive online courses offered by the Boston University that focused on the needs of today’s senior populaton. In addition to providing the core foundation of knowledge and skills in the growing field of aging, the program also intended to help human service professionals learn to appropriately and effectively assist older adults and their families.

Lippel’s training will enhance Family Centers’ senior outreach services offered through its Friendly Connections program. Offered for free and facilitated by volunteers, Friendly Connections’ education and support courses allow older adults to participate in lively discussions on a variety of topics via the telephone. In addition to its teleconference courses, Friendly Connections provides home visiting services to local seniors and disabled adults through its Friendly Visitors component. Check-in companionship phone calls are also placed through the program’s Friendly Callers service.

The Alliance, a national membership association of nonprofit human service providers, is making this professional development opportunity available through its New Age of Aging initiative, which is designed to help prepare human service organizations throughout North America to best provide services for older adults as the vast baby boom generation ages. These services will likely come from community-based nonprofit human service providers, such as Family Centers.

The Alliance for Children and Families, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2011, is a national membership association of nonprofit human service providers in the United States and Canada. Motivated by a vision of a healthy society and strong communities, the Alliance strengthens the capacities of North America’s nonprofit child- and family-serving organizations to serve and advocate for children, families, and communities. More information on the Alliance is available at alliance1.org.

Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering education and human services to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. More than 1,400 professionals and trained volunteers work together to provide a wide range of responsive, innovative programs. A United Way of Greenwich and Western Connecticut, Community Fund of Darien and New Canaan Community Foundation partner agency, Family Centers is a member of the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies and the Alliance for Children and Families and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The agency is licensed by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health. Visit www.familycenters.org for additional information.