Let’s Connect and EngAge!

Natasha is a Philadelphia, PA based Aging, Dementia, Care Partner, and Community Wellness Specialist, and Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist with over twenty-four years of clinical experience, in multiple healthcare and community-based settings, and in various capacities. She also has several years of experience in both healthcare administration and higher education roles.

As Creative Connections Coordinator at ARTZ Philadelphia, Natasha offers support and coordination for their new “Café for Care Partners and Creative Connections” pilot program. This Café is designed to creatively and meaningfully engage both individuals living with dementia and their care partners in separate, restorative and interactive sessions, and in the same locations. The program is generously funded by a two-year Innovative Project Support grant from The Sarah Ralston Foundation.

Natasha is eager to share creative strategies and resources that may improve overall quality of life and health outcomes for diverse communities and care teams. She has presented her work and approach at various healthcare, aging, and dementia conferences and communities including: the Alzheimer’s Association, Memory Care Forum, LeadingAge Meeting and EXPO, Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, the inaugural Expose Dementia Conference – “The A.R.T. of the Matter”, and The UN General Assembly’s Healing Arts Research Symposium – by the Jameel Arts and Health Lab and in collaboration with the World Health Organization. She is also a published peer-reviewed author on topics related to her work, a Certified Reiki Practitioner, a member of The National Institute for Dementia Education (NIDE) Standards of Excellence (SOE) Council, and Dance for PD®-trained teaching artist.

Natasha’s professional experience includes:

• Healthcare administration
• Higher education program leadership, adjunct instruction, and curriculum development for a new Creative Arts Therapy Minor undergraduate program
• Community-wide therapeutic program design, development, and implementation
• Care partner training
• Dance/movement therapy (DMT) clinical supervision, adjunct instruction, and board-certification support
• Research Interventionist through Drexel University’s Department of Creative Arts in Therapies
• Aging and dementia presentations
• Reiki practice
• Clinical writing and Peer review
• Regular DMT and therapeutic engagement facilitation