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Celine Turco, Lic. PHR
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Cofounder and COO/CFO of Life Connect Health, Celine Turco has worked with a variety of populations and settings, starting in California as a YMCA outreach worker for homeless teens then serving as a direct support staff serving adolescents in a juvenile correction center treatment unit before assuming a leadership role. Later, Celine accepted a leadership position in New Jersey in a large behavioral health organization providing community-based services and supports in residential settings for adults with I/DD and co-occurring mental health conditions. There, she had the opportunity to create and implement a specialized residential transition program for transitional-age youth with IDD and behavioral challenges. Following this successful work, she was recruited by another large provider to design and implement additional programs for persons with IDD and challenging behaviors in Pennsylvania and subsequently lead the companies’ implementation of the new benefit for Crisis Stabilization and Prevention, "the Systems of Support" in TN where she worked with Dr. Jana Dreyzehner and representatives from the three managed care organizations (MCOs) and the Tennessee State Medicaid agency, TennCare. These experiences inspired Celine to found Life Connect Health with Dr. Dreyzehner. In this context, the two have co-presented at several conferences as well as co-writing training materials and a book chapter on special considerations for persons with disabilities as they transition into adulthood.
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Celine is passionate about creating innovative and cost-effective solutions that place emphasis on addressing every person's needs to belong to a caring community, to be given the opportunity to be in lasting relationships with trusted people, and to be served in an environment that provides hope for the future.
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Celine is fluent in French, her native language, and completed her education in France prior to immigrating to America where she learned English as a second language. Celine is currently serving as the Vice President ad the Public Policy Committee Chair of TN NADD.