By virtue of her mother, Melissa Katz learned the values of compassion and empathy by lending a hand to elderly friends and neighbors from a young age. Those lessons were early job training for Katz, who today serves as Director of Early Stage and In-Home Respite Programs for the Long Island Alzheimer's and Dementia Center. Katz manages the care of individuals in the early stages of Alzheimer’s while supervising the Long Island Alzheimer's and Dementia Center’s Day Program, works with caregivers in providing support and resources, facilitates caregiver groups and educational programming, and helps manage several grant programs. As many of her colleagues, counseled participants and their caregivers have attested, Katz can always be counted on to go the extra mile, lend a helping hand and make herself available to offer advice even out of the office.
“Melissa has been an incredible asset and a team player always willing to help,” says Long Island Alzheimer's and Dementia Center Executive Director Tori Cohen. “Her flexibility, reliability, management skills and professionalism go beyond her years.
Katz is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, as well as a part of the Health Equity Alliance of Long Island. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in Asian studies from Muhlenberg College and a master’s degree in social work from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, and hopes to earn her clinical license in the next two years. Prior to coming to Long Island Alzheimer's and Dementia Center in 2014, she worked with the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, counseling those affected by Hurricane Sandy by conducting post-disaster distress workshops in affected communities, focusing on stress management and cognitive restructuring techniques.
In her spare time, Melissa enjoys going to the beach and dancing. She lives in Massapequa with her husband, Michael, and their French bulldog, Harvey.
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