ADVISORY PANEL | New York Foundation For Eldercare

IN THIS SECTION:

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Valerie Abel, PsyD is a clinical psychologist/neuropsychologist who has specialty board certification in geropsychology. She graduated from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University and has specialized in working with older adults for her whole career. As a consultant and in her private practice she has provided psychological and neuropsychological assessment as well as staff training in skilled nursing facilities, adult day programs, and assisted-living facilities. For the last 14 years, she has been on the psychology staff of the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System at the Brooklyn campus. She is the Training Director of the Geropsychology Postdoctoral Residency program and supervises clinical psychologists in providing assessment and intervention services for older adults in various integrated health settings throughout the hospital. The geropsychology program is fully integrated into various clinical areas including cancer care, geriatric primary care, home-based primary care, palliative care, memory disorder clinic, as well as on inpatient medical units and in outpatient geriatric mental health clinic. Dr. Abel has served on a number of workgroups and committees at the national level in the VA system that focus specifically on geriatric care. In the last year she also serves as the section Chief of Psychology. Dr. Abel is passionate about her work with older adults and is committed to providing the best and most innovative care to promote healthy aging. She resides in Brooklyn with her husband and has two sons (ages 19 and 21) who have a great love for the elders in their family. She looks forward to supporting the initiatives of the New York Foundation for Eldercare.

Eugene A. Burke, JR., M.D. is a board certified psychiatrist and neurologist, and an attending physician at New York University and Lutheran Hospitals in New York City. He brings extensive experience in acute care and forensic psychiatric settings, and his professional interests lie in the role of cognitive impairment as it relates to psychotic and affective symptoms. He has served as an advisor and trained medical students and residents in general psychiatry at Mount Sinai Hospital, New Haven Hospital, and Jamaica Hospital. Dr. Burke is currently an independent psychiatrist at South Beach Psychiatric Hospital, and also maintains a private practice in New York City. He has partnered as a forensic psychiatrist and delivered expert testimony on behalf of psychiatric institutions across New York and New Jersey.

Dr. Burke received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Hofstra University, and after a short stint as a graduate clinical and research technician at Columbia University Medical School, attended Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx where he graduated with an MD in 1992. Following medical school, Dr. Burke completed his residence training in psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry, where he later served as chief resident within the Dual Diagnosis Unit at Yale Psychiatric Institute and the Yale New Haven Hospital Psychiatric Consultation Service. He went on to complete the Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship at Montefiore Hospital. At one point in his career, Dr. Burke found himself contemplating whether psychiatry truly was his calling, taking into consideration a saturated market, the complex challenges of the field, and the burgeoning application of neuroscience. It was then that he found himself on the verge of a new era in psychiatry, and remained committed to discovering new ways to uncover a person’s unique story.

Dr. Burke currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with his wife of 20 years and teenage son. Outside of medicine, his interests include Ashtanga yoga, reading, scuba diving, and traveling with friends and family.

Terri Feldman Katz, M.D. is a magna cum laude graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and received her medical degree from George Washington University. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine. She practiced geriatrics at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center while serving as assistant professor of clinical medicine. She then joined the Geriatric Division at Montefiore Medical Center serving as Director of the Geriatrics residency elective program and Medical Director of the Geriatrics Hospitalist Program before starting the Center for Dynamic Aging in 2002.

Dr. Katz is co-owner and founder of The Center for Dynamic Aging, with offices in Teaneck and Fort Lee, New Jersey. With compassion and care, she devotes herself to meeting the medical and psychosocial needs of elderly patients, and to helping their families adjust to changing care-giving roles. She has lectured on a variety of topics pertaining to the elderly, and has published her research on making treatment decisions for frail hospitalized elderly patients.

Dr. Terri Katz’s is proud of her new venture – Next, Because Memory Matters. Working with a neuropsychologist and social worker their mission is dedicated to maintaining memory and good quality of life. Identifying and treating memory problems requires a coordinated effort from different disciplines. It often involves both the patient and their family and friends, but due to the sensitivity of this problem, it needs to be addressed with understanding and privacy. Next, Because Memory Matters is on the forefront of the interplay between memory, mood, physical activity, and social interactions.

Elizabeth L. Lipton, MSW received her MSW from Columbia School of Social Work and her Bachelor of Art from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. She first worked for the New York City Human Resources Administration in their Office of Management and Planning and was the Deputy Administrator at the NYC Board of Education, Office of School Food Services. Elizabeth spent the next twelve years working in labor relations for Time Inc. and the NYS Worker’s Compensation Board where she was Assistant Director of Operations. More recently she has worked in private practice as a mediator and arbitrator for the NYC and NYS government and other associations. She taught “Management Techniques for Social Work” for several years at Hunter School of Social Work. Over the years, Elizabeth has been involved in a multitude of political organizations, all focused on improving the lives of citizens through civic activity. As a volunteer Elizabeth has been active in several organizations. She served as President and Vice President for Womens City Club of New York, a civic organization providing education, policy making and social action for NYC citizens, especially women and children. Elizabeth has served on the Board of the Goddard Riverside Community Settlement and has chaired and served on many of their committees. She is also is a Board member of the Salt Bay Chamber Fest. Elizabeth currently lives in New York City.

Dr. Jephtha Tausig (Dr. Jeph) has been a licensed psychologist for over 20 years, working with children, teens, young adults and the elderly from all walks of life. She has her own practice in New York City and is the supervising psychologist for Family & Children’s Services of Nantucket. Her clinical experience includes Columbia University’s Center for Psychoanalytic Training & Research, Richmond University Medical Center, Maimonides Medical Center, Gay Men’s Health Crisis and the Bellevue Hospital Center. She is also a visiting scholar at Teachers College – Columbia University and a clinical instructor at Mt. Sinai Medical Center.

Dr. Jeph received her doctorate with distinction in clinical psychology from Columbia University. She holds three masters; a master of philosophy in clinical psychology from Columbia University; a master in clinical psychology from Teachers College, and a master in general psychology from New York University (NYU). She earned her undergraduate degree in fine arts at NYU.

She has presented at scientific meetings, such as the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and in clinical settings for Family & Children’s Services of Nantucket, the Nantucket Dept., and Mt. Sinai Medical Center. She has also taught at Columbia University, The New School for Social Research and Mt. Sinai Medical Center for over a decade. Dr. Jeph has received numerous awards for her work and dedication to the field of psychology, including the United Hospital Fund’s Hospital Auxilian and Volunteer Achievement Award in 2014, being elected as a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and the New York State Psychological Association Award for best graduate paper, “Women’s Behavioral Response to the Risk of HIV”.

Dr. Jeph is a proud Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and belongs to the China-American Psychoanalytic Alliance (CAPA), New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA), American Psychological Association (APA), National Register of Health Service Psychologists, and Association for Psychological Science (APS). She is also a dedicated member of and volunteers with many social service organizations such as the New York City Junior League (where she received the Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2005), the Women’s City Club of New York and Nantucket Community Sailing. Her full Curriculum Vitae can be found here.

Judy Willig, LCSW is a nonprofit administrator, aging advocate and community organizer, as well as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Since 1986, she has been the Executive Director of Heights and Hills, a community-based organization serving older adults and their caregivers in Brooklyn, New York. She has led the agency through more than 30 of growth, during which time Heights and Hills has become one of the largest social service providers for the elderly in Brooklyn, serving close to 5,000 older adults and their families annually. Under Ms. Willig’s leadership, Heights and Hills provides services and support to older adults and their families through Case Management, Caregiver Services, Volunteer Services, and the Park Slope Center for Successful Aging, a neighborhood senior center.

Ms. Willig is a leader within the professional aging and human services communities in New York City. She serves as a member of the board of directors of Live On NY (formerly Council of Senior Centers and Services), having chaired their Action Committee addressing advocacy and policy issues for nine years. She is an active member of the Human Services Council, serving on both their Policy & Strategy and Workforce Development Committees. She has also been a member of the Mayor’s Non-Profit Resilience Committee since its inception in September 2016. Additionally, she was a member of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies Leadership Council on Aging, a member of the steering committee of the NYC Elder Abuse Center, a member of the Adult Protective Services Community Advisory Board and she was a founding member of the New York City Family Caregiver Coalition, the New York City Hoarding Task Force and the Brooklyn Local Aging Network. Previously, she served for several years as a member of the Community Board 6 Human Services Committee.

Ms. Willig is a published author and frequent speaker at citywide, state and national conferences on topics related to aging including: Care Transitions, Hoarding and the Elderly, Self-Neglect, Managing an Unmanageable Caseload, Caregiving, Worker Safety, Disaster Planning for the Elderly, Intergenerational Partnerships, and Corporate Partnerships.

Ms. Willig received her MSW from the University of Michigan School of Social Work and her BA in psychology from Binghamton University.

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IN THIS SECTION:

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Valerie Abel, PsyD

Dr. Valerie Abel is a clinical psychologist/neuropsychologist who has specialty board certification in geropsychology. She graduated from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University and has specialized in working with older adults for her whole career. As a consultant and in her private practice she has provided psychological and neuropsychological assessment as well as staff training in skilled nursing facilities, adult day programs, and assisted-living facilities. For the last 14 years, she has been on the psychology staff of the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System at the Brooklyn campus. She is the Training Director of the Geropsychology Postdoctoral Residency program and supervises clinical psychologists in providing assessment and intervention services for older adults in various integrated health settings throughout the hospital. The geropsychology program is fully integrated into various clinical areas including cancer care, geriatric primary care, home-based primary care, palliative care, memory disorder clinic, as well as on inpatient medical units and in outpatient geriatric mental health clinic. Dr. Abel has served on a number of workgroups and committees at the national level in the VA system that focus specifically on geriatric care. In the last year she also serves as the section Chief of Psychology. Dr. Abel is passionate about her work with older adults and is committed to providing the best and most innovative care to promote healthy aging. She resides in Brooklyn with her husband and has two sons (ages 19 and 21) who have a great love for the elders in their family. She looks forward to supporting the initiatives of the New York Foundation for Eldercare.

Dr. Jephtha Tausig (Dr. Jeph)

Dr. Jeph has been a licensed psychologist for over 20 years, working with children, teens, young adults and the elderly from all walks of life. She has her own practice in New York City and is the supervising psychologist for Family & Children’s Services of Nantucket. Her clinical experience includes Columbia University’s Center for Psychoanalytic Training & Research, Richmond University Medical Center, Maimonides Medical Center, Gay Men’s Health Crisis and the Bellevue Hospital Center. She is also a visiting scholar at Teachers College – Columbia University and a clinical instructor at Mt. Sinai Medical Center.

Eugene A. Burke, JR., M.D.

Eugene Burke is a board certified psychiatrist and neurologist, and an attending physician at New York University and Lutheran Hospitals in New York City. He brings extensive experience in acute care and forensic psychiatric settings, and his professional interests lie in the role of cognitive impairment as it relates to psychotic and affective symptoms. He has served as an advisor and trained medical students and residents in general psychiatry at Mount Sinai Hospital, New Haven Hospital, and Jamaica Hospital. Dr. Burke is currently an independent psychiatrist at South Beach Psychiatric Hospital, and also maintains a private practice in New York City. He has partnered as a forensic psychiatrist and delivered expert testimony on behalf of psychiatric institutions across New York and New Jersey.

Terri Feldman Katz, M.D.

Terri Feldman Katz, M.D. is a magna cum laude graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and received her medical degree from George Washington University. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine. She practiced geriatrics at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center while serving as assistant professor of clinical medicine. She then joined the Geriatric Division at Montefiore Medical Center serving as Director of the Geriatrics residency elective program and Medical Director of the Geriatrics Hospitalist Program before starting the Center for Dynamic Aging in 2002.

Judy Willig, LCSW

Judy Willig is a nonprofit administrator, aging advocate and community organizer, as well as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Since 1986, she has been the Executive Director of Heights and Hills, a community-based organization serving older adults and their caregivers in Brooklyn, New York. She has led the agency through more than 30 of growth, during which time Heights and Hills has become one of the largest social service providers for the elderly in Brooklyn, serving close to 5,000 older adults and their families annually. Under Ms. Willig’s leadership, Heights and Hills provides services and support to older adults and their families through Case Management, Caregiver Services, Volunteer Services, and the Park Slope Center for Successful Aging, a neighborhood senior center.

Ms. Willig received her MSW from the University of Michigan School of Social Work and her BA in psychology from Binghamton University.