Ali serves as the Senior Community Engagement Specialist in Aging for the Cares program at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Social Work. In this position, Ali develops, supports, and evaluates projects and activities that build communities’ capacity to enable adults of all ages and abilities to thrive. Ali facilitates and trains others in the use of Collective Impact, a framework for large-scale systems change. She develops educational materials for diverse and specialized audiences, including individuals with I/DD, older adults, family caregivers, and professionals in fields such as social work, education, and healthcare. She engages individuals, families, and professionals in workgroups and steering teams associated with projects such as the Coalition for a Dementia Capable North Carolina, Rethinking Guardianship NC, the Western North Carolina (WNC) Initiative for Supportive Housing (WISH), and Weaving Connections for Natural Supports. Before coming to Cares, Ali worked at Warren Wilson College in various roles, including Social Work Program Director and Director of Institutional effectiveness. She also served as the Coordinator for Age-Friendly Buncombe County. Ali received her Master of Social Work and Joint Doctorate in Social Work and Psychology from the University of Michigan. She also holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University.

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Degrees
Ph.D., University of MichiganMSW, University of Michigan