6th Annual Elder Care Symposium: Unity in Diversity: Building Culturally Competent Elder Care Communities

Presented by:
Jasmine S. Dixon, PhD
Jasmine S. Dixon is a first-year postdoctoral fellow at the Mass General Brigham Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology within the Aging and Alzheimer’s Neuropsychology track. She completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and clinical internship at the Emory University School of Medicine, both with a focus in clinical neuropsychology. Her research interests include gender and racial disparities in risk for Alzheimer’s disease, as well as biopsychosocial risk and resiliency factors that impact cognitive aging and contribute to dementia disparities. Her clinical focus lies in Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias.
Shanice Rice, MSW, LCSW
Shanice Rice, MSW, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Georgia. She has over 15 years’ experience in the fields of psychology, social work and mental health. Shanice obtained her master’s degree in social work in 2013 from Valdosta State University with clinical concentrations in psychopathology and mental health. She was awarded a graduate assistantship during this time where she researched and assisted twice exceptional learners; children who are highly gifted in areas like math/science who also have learning challenges to include ADHD, dyslexia or autism. Shanice has a fervency to serve others, beginning her experience as an investigator with Georgia's Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) where she served as an advocate for vulnerable populations. Shanice has worked as a forensic social worker within Georgia Regional State Psychiatric Hospital, assessing the competency of individuals to stand trial. Her passion for leadership was realized during her time as program manager and community liaison within Dekalb Community Service Board where she excelled, leading and inspiring her team to exceed the standard. Shanice also has management and leadership experience within the Veterans Administration where she has provided clinical interventions and oversight to Atlanta’s homeless population. Shanice is a breast cancer survivor and has been able to utilize this experience to empower others through her role as a professional in oncology social work and healthcare. Shanice began her private practice, Forward Faith Counseling and Wellness in 2020, where she has been able to provide therapeutic services that target individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, codependency, as well as men and women’s issues. Shanice is dedicated to growth and development and hopes to continue her impact through teaching, training, and consulting.
Kalisha Bonds Johnson, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC
Dr. Kalisha Bonds Johnson is an assistant professor at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing in Atlanta, Georgia, and a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at Emory University’s Integrated Memory Care, a primary care clinic tailored to the care of persons living with dementia and their families. She is also the Principal Investigator of the DECIDE Research Lab. She graduated from The University of Tennessee at Martin with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University, and graduated with a PhD from Oregon Health & Science University. She completed her postdoctoral training (or training after completing a PhD) at Emory University. Dr. Bonds Johnson’s research focuses on improving health care decision-making processes for Black American persons living with dementia and their family care partners as well as improving the communication between primary care providers and these families.
Lisa Bednarz, LCSW, CMAC, ACM-SW, ASW-G, Regional Director of Case Management for Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health
Lisa began her career serving as a community guardian for incapacitated older adults before joining New York-Presbyterian’s distinguished geriatrics team, and ultimately moving fully into healthcare leadership. She has front-line experience navigating the intersection of the healthcare and legal systems and uses this knowledge to educate physicians on ethical issues in gerontology, including capacity assessments and elder abuse. She has developed and implemented screening tools and response protocols to address elder abuse within the acute care setting. Lisa has advanced training in trauma-focused care, family systems, and healthcare management. She is a former Hartford Fellow in Geriatric Mental Health and a former advisor for the Vulnerable Elder Protection Team at Weill Cornell Medical College. Lisa operates a small geriatric care management practice and acts as a consultant and speaker on psychosocial health in the aging population and ethical decision-making in work with cognitively impaired clients. Lisa lives in New York City with her family.