Addressing Social Isolation through Evidence-Based Group Workshops

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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, but especially throughout the pandemic, evidence-based group workshops have given older adults the opportunity to engage with their peers with similar lived experiences, create new friendships, and feel a sense of belonging, in addition to positive health effects. This workshop session will delve into the quantitative and qualitative research and evaluations performed by an academic medical center implementing a suite of evidence-based programs in chronic disease self-management education and falls prevention. The workshop will cover proven strategies to continue engaging workshop participants beyond completion of evidence-based groups, creating a lasting impact on social isolation and loneliness. Through case studies and activities, participants will devise strategies to better understand and address social isolation in their communities.

Daniela Mitchem

Program Coordinator, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Rush University Medical Center

Daniela Mitchem is a clinical social worker and care coordinator for Rush University Medical Center Department of Social Work & Community Health. Daniela received a Master of Social Work degree and a BS in Community Health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). At Rush, Daniela provides clinical care management, facilitates psychoeducational groups through a Senior Wellness contract with the City of Chicago, and is program coordinator for the Health Legacy Program for Women. Before coming to Rush, Daniela worked as a graduate academic counselor at UIUC and was a Ronald E. McNair Research Scholar at UIUC.

Padraic Stanley, MSW, LCSW

Program Manager

Rush University Medical Center

Padraic Stanley is a social worker living in Chicago, IL. He currently works as a program manager for community-based health promotion for the Rush University Medical Center Department of Social Work & Community Health. He is also the chair of Rush’s Immigrant Health Working Group, which is oversees Rush’s immigrant health and welcoming healthcare initiatives. He is a graduate of the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work, where he completed the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship and completed clinical practicum at Heartland Human Care Services and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Currently, he is an adjunct professor of social work at Loyola University Chicago, Associate Professor of Social Work for the Rush University College of Health Sciences, on the associate board for Erie Neighborhood House, and the executive board for the International Association for Social Work with Groups.

Grisel Rodríguez-Morales

Manager of Health Promotion & Disease Prevention

Rush University Medical Center

Grisel Rodriguez-Morales, MSW, LCSW is the manager of health promotion and disease prevention with the Social Work and Community Health (SWCH) department at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago, Illinois. She oversees Rush Generations, a wellness and aging membership program offering lectures by health experts, evidence-based chronic disease self-management workshops, classes, and education and support groups. Grisel holds an academic appointment as Instructor to the Adjunct Faculty in the Rush University College of Nursing – Department of Adult Health and Gerontological Nursing. Grisel Rodriguez-Morales is also President (2019-2021) of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Illinois Chapter.