GERIATRIC CARE MANAGERS

Eden Alexander
Jean La Valley
Susan P. Gardner

Eden Alexander, LICSW C-ASWCM

Eden Alexander LICSW, C-ASWCM is a Certified Geriatric Care Manager. She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LICSW) who has been connecting families with community resources in Whatcom County for over 20 years. Through her long career as a medical social worker at St. Joseph Hospital, she provided guidance with discharge planning, crisis counseling, and advocating for patients and families navigating the health care system.

Eden has worked in the Adult Day Health program, rehabilitation, emergency, medical, and intensive care areas of the hospital as well as in the pediatrics and childbirth units. Eden has also worked as a medical social worker for Visiting Nurse, Whatcom County Hospice, and as a Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Counselor in Skagit County.

Ms. Alexander is a member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. She earned a Bachelor degree in Environmental Health from Western Washington University in 1977 and a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Washington in 1983. She regularly updates her education through seminars and continuing education courses.

Jean La Valley, RN, MN

Jean La Valley works as a Geriatric Care Manager. She is a registered nurse who has worked in a variety of clinical and community settings. She worked 10 years at Whatcom Counseling & Psychiatric Clinic (WCPC) as a psychiatric nurse practitioner and consulted with the Elder Services team, evaluating elderly clients in assisted living facilities and nursing homes. Jean has worked in the medical-surgical, mental health, clinical education and wellness departments at St. Joseph Hospital. She taught community health nursing at the University of Washington-Bothell for 5 years with a focus on community health services and resources in Whatcom and Skagit counties.

Ms. La Valley earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education and a Masters in Nursing from the University of Washington.

Susan P. Gardner, MSW, LICSW

Ms. Gardner works as a Geriatric Care Manager. She received her Master of Social Work degree (MSW) from the University of Washington, and her Bachelor of Science in Applied Behavioral Science from George Williams College. She is licensed in the State of Washington as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and holds Geriatric Mental Health Specialist and Children’s Mental Health Specialist credentials.

Ms. Gardner has worked in Skagit County since 1981. Susan worked for 17 years at Skagit Community Mental Health Center. She developed and implemented the Geriatric Outreach Program at Skagit Community Mental Health Center, a program that provided home-based mental health and case management services to older adults and their families. She later developed and directed the Geriatric Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team working with medical providers, home health agencies, Senior Services, psychiatric staff and other professionals to provide high quality evaluations to older adults with the goal of maintaining them at home as long as possible.

Susan also assisted in the development of the Geriatric Peer Counseling Program in Skagit County. Together with the Alzheimer’s Society of Washington, Susan initiated and facilitated the Alzheimer Support Group of Skagit County. Her other work at Skagit Mental Health included children’s and crisis services.

Since 1997 she has maintained a private counseling practice in Mount Vernon where she works with people of all ages. Susan is a member of Skagit Behavioral Health, a group of private counseling practitioners.

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