Department Information > The Proposed Louis and Joan M. Sirico Center for Elders and Families:

A. The Louis and Joan M. Sirico Center for Elders and Families is a unique partnership between SCSU and an alumna of the school to engage in and share information on practice and research on elder care issues, as well as the education of current and future professionals in the field of aging through the development of interdisciplinary courses.


B. Mission Statement - The mission of the Louis and Joan M. Sirico Center For Elders And Families is to join with the community of professionals in a partnership to strengthen the quality of life of elderly citizens and their families by supporting activities that can   enhance their emotional, physical and spiritual health.

The goals of the Center are to: 1) establish formal community linkages to promote elder friendly communities and public awareness, 2) disseminate information on best practices and contribute to this information through practice research that can  support the well being of different elderly populations, 3) develop interdisciplinary education and training of future and current professionals in the disciplines comprising  the human service field.

C. The Sirico Center was established in the School of Health and Human Services through a gift from Teresa Sirico in 2001 to the Southern Connecticut State University Foundation. The University has supported the time of two faculty members – Nursing professor Dr. Mary Ann Glendon and Social Work professor Dr. Elayne Haymes as the co-directors of the Center. They oversee the development and implementation of the Center’s initiatives. Telephone (203) 392-6905 for more information.

D.  The Sirico Center has forged  many relationships with community agencies and health care professionals to develop both educational and practice research opportunities to enhance the knowledge of caring for elders.

Core Values identified with this mission include:

• Empowerment
• Justice
• Advocacy
• Information
• Professional Education

Ongoing and Proposed Activities:

1. Interdisciplinary practice research
2. Informational Workshops for Elders and their Families
3. Interdisciplinary Curriculum Development.
4. University-wide Faculty Fellows Program
5. Participation in a State-wide Web Site