They have been assisting clients and families in need for over 17 years in the Bay Area.

Senior Alternatives offers Care Management, Home Care and Fiduciary Services. They bring to Santa Barbara an interdisciplinary team of masters-level geriatric specialists who have over 180 years of combined experience working in areas of dementia, hospice, chronic medical conditions and disabilities. Equally impressive is their fiduciary team which includes Marlee Taxy, CPA, MBA, Janet Brush, LCSW, MSW, MSG, C-ASWCM, CLPF and Shannon Clark, CLPF, NCG.

What makes Senior Alternatives unique? “We use a Social Work model, employing bio-psycho-social assessments and specialized care plans, to document and review current concerns, as well as assist in anticipating and planning for future needs,” said Janet Brush, Owner and Managing Director of Senior Alternatives. “When an aging loved one begins to require assistance, it can impact the entire family; therefore, it becomes imperative to find the right team of professionals to meet their special needs.”

While their focus is on older adults, they work with all ages where Care Management, Home Care or Fiduciary Services are needed.

To learn more about Senior Alternatives, visit their website or give them a call at (888) 451-4290.

About Senior Alternatives, Inc.

Senior Alternatives has been providing consistent, high-quality Homecare, Care Management and Fiduciary Services since 1995.

Senior Alternatives has 50 employees in the Bay Area and expects to hire another 15 to 30 employees locally in Santa Barbara and its surrounding areas. They are currently accepting applications for experienced home caregivers. Those who wish to apply should send their resume including a cover letter and professional references to Jesus Escamilla at jesus@senalt.com or mail to 3864 State St #384 Santa Barbara, CA 93105

Janet Brush, LCSW, MSW, MSG, CLPF, C-ASWCM, is the Managing Director of Senior Alternatives. Janet has a Masters of Social Work, a Masters of Science in Gerontology and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California. She also has a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. Janet is also a Licensed Professional Fiduciary in California. She has extensive experience in the field of Gerontology including working with a variety of issues such as dementia, depression, care giving and other issues associated with the aging process. In addition, Janet has worked in a variety of hospital settings including the New York University Aging and Dementia Research Center and Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

Shannon Clark, CLPF, NCG, is our Director of Client Services and Fiduciary Manager for our Santa Barbara location. She has a Bachelor’s degree from UCSB and over seven years of experience in banking and finance. As a licensed banker, Shannon specialized in financial advisement for fiduciary accounts including revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, conservatorships, estate accounts, special needs trusts, and power of attorney for finances. She spends most of her free time providing in-kind support to a local non-profit and is passionate about volunteerism and community involvement.

Toni Liquornik, MSW, has a Masters of Social Work with an emphasis in Administration and Planning from Alabama A&M University. Toni is a Certified Care Manager with over 30 years of experience helping the elderly and disabled. Her main career focus has been providing geriatric care management. She has extensive experience as a medical social worker and case manager, working for local skilled nursing homes, three tiered retirement communities and spent over 8 years at a home care agency. Toni has also worked as an Admissions Coordinator and a Social Services Director and deeply understands the medical, legal and financial challenges that this population faces.

Carolyn Lonner, LCSW, MSW, is a Director of Clinical Services for Senior Alternatives. She has a Masters in Social Work from UC Berkeley and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of California. She was the Program Director at Alzheimer’s Services of the East Bay (ASEB) as well as social worker for their licensed Adult Day Health Care program. Carolyn has worked at Catholic Charities in the Aging Case Management program and with the Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention in San Francisco. Besides providing care management for Senior Alternatives, Carolyn also supervises our clinical team with an emphasis on quality assurance.

Sheri Hartman, LCSW, MSW, has a Masters in Social Work from CSU Fresno and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of California. Sheri started her geriatric social work career at the Institute on Aging in San Francisco. After that, she worked with our founder during the first eleven years of Senior Alternatives’ existence. She then took time off to develop her own private therapy and consulting practice and also to work with Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the East Bay. She has returned to us, bringing her 20 years of experience in social work and a passionate commitment to deliver care management to the elder population.

Lauren Eppinger, LCSW, MSW, has a Masters in Social Work from University of Denver and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of California. She was the Program Director at Alzheimer’s Services of the East Bay (ASEB) as well as social worker for their licensed Adult Day Health Care program. Lauren has worked as a Medical Social Worker at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and as a Care Manager for Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP).

Ruth Ahearn, MSW, has a Masters of Social Work from the Fordham School of Social Service and was a Licensed Medical Social Worker in New York before moving back to California. Ruth has been practicing geriatric social work for the past 30 year. She spent more than ten of those years working for various branches of the Alzheimer’s Association, several years coordinating senior volunteer programs and the final majority directing social service programs within senior care facilities.

Blake Mueller, MSW, has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Southern California. He spent six years working for the Vitas Hospice organization. His work experience includes both clinical and managerial responsibilities. Blake has worked with varied populations, with a predominant focus on older adults and their families. He brings with him extensive work experience in end of life issues and grief counseling. Blake’s has also managed large multi-disciplinary teams in coordination of client care.

Jennie Riley, MS, has a Masters in Counseling with a Gerontology Specialization from San Francisco State University. Jennie has worked with seniors and adults with disabilities providing counseling and care management services. She also has expertise with providing grief counseling and management of Caregiving staff. Jennie finds special reward in ensuring that her clients are receiving the maximum possible benefit from every component of their daily life.

Karen Rosen, MSW, has a Masters in Social Work from San Francisco State University. Karen has worked with seniors and organizations supporting adults of all ages for over thirty years in the Bay Area, including the San Francisco Commission on Aging, Adult Protective Services and the City and County of San Francisco. Karen has also been published twice and received two awards for her work with at-risk women.

Marlee Taxy, CPA, is our Administrative Accountant and Co-Fiduciary with Janet Brush. Marlee has a Master’s in Business Administration from USC and Bachelor’s degree in Economics from UC Berkeley. Marlee has been a CPA for 25 years and has advised a wide variety of companies of all sizes across many industries. Her fiduciary work focuses on finance management and accounting.

June Marinoff is our Fiduciary Administrator. June has a degree in Sociology from UCLA and has spent most her professional life in both TV production and Administrative work. June has been working since 2008 in a fiduciary capacity alongside Janet Brush.

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