Sharing Best Practices for Outreach to Beneficiaries in Rural Areas

Jessalyn joined NCOA in August 2023, and serves as the primary point of contact for the Benefits Enrollment Centers in the Northeast. Her previous work focused on the experiences of beneficiaries enrolling in WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid, and she is passionate about working to increase access to life-changing benefits. In her free time, Jessalyn loves to spend time outdoors, and she recently spent a month and a half hiking El Camino de Santiago in Spain. She has her bachelor's degree in Health Equity & Policy from Cornell University. 

Darren Hotton has over 20 years of experience helping Medicare beneficiaries, family members, and caregivers navigate the Medicare and Medicaid landscape. He was the Director of Utah Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIP), Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), and Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) for 18 years. Darren's mission is to empower, educate, and assist older adults to access all benefits, and age well on their own terms.

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Jen Teague is the Associate Director for Health Coverage and Benefits at NCOA. She has over 15 years of experience working on behalf of older adults and their families. Jen’s previous roles have included working with the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services, overseeing adult protective services and managing local non-profit organizations.  She has significant experience working with community-based organization (CBO) committees, taskforces, and providing education, information and resources to older adults, key stakeholders, and elected officials. Jen states her passion is ensuring that older adults can access services and supports that allow them to age with dignity and choice. Jen has a Masters degree in Community Counseling and a Bachelors degree in Sociology both from Appalachian State University.

Treva Warrick, Care Coordinator with SeniorAge Area Agency on Aging, has 32 years' experience working with seniors in rural Missouri. She started volunteering in 1992 preparing income tax returns with the Tax Counseling for the Elderly and was hired in 1995 to work with a grant focusing on enrolling seniors in benefits. The grant work soon expanded from the original one county to cover other adjoining counties. In addition to Care Coordinator, she is also a Medicare counselor with Missouri SHIP, Navigator for Marketplace insurance, Options Counselor, and continues to work as a Tax Counselor for the Elderly.

Diné, is originally from Deinehootso (Dennehotso), Arizona. Sheis Kinłichiiní (Redhouse Clan), born for Kinya’aani (Towering House Clan), hermaternal grandparents are Bit’ahnii (Folded Arms Clan) and paternalgrandparents are Ashiihí (Salt Clan). 

Benita has over twenty years of experience in public healthadvocacy and is fluent in both Navajo and English. She was the Project Directorfor the Benefits Enrollment Center housed at the Law Center and works with VRServices and schools to reach young people with disabilities. Along withmonitoring congregate group homes and detention centers.  

Thom Simmons taught Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Greenfield Community College for 25 years. Upon “retirement,” he worked for the US Dept. of Commerce, where he was tasked with creating and executing outreach plans for seniors in Vermont and New Hampshire in preparation for the 2020 Census. Having developed an extensive network of contacts in that area, he joined Senior Solutions (the Council on Aging for Southeastern Vermont) in 2021 as an outreach Specialist and is now the Nutrition & Wellness Director of that agency.