Clinical Staff

Amy Breashears

From the time she was young, Amy Breashears has been intimately involved with older adults. Her own grandparents played an important role in her growing up. So when it came time for Amy to choose a career, it was only natural for her to continue working with this population.

“I’ve always enjoyed working in the field of aging,” Amy said. “I see older adults as a greatly underserved population. There’s a lot of need and challenges they face, and I like being able to provide support and services.”

Today, Amy is an older adult case manager for JFS. “Whatever needs that arise, I try to find solutions for them,” Amy said. Her efforts begin with an initial needs and financial assessment. “This shows me areas and life domains that need attention, and I work with them. We try to look at things holistically by taking a broad look at their life.”

Whether it’s connecting people with resources so they can continue to live independently in their own home or aiding in moving them to assisted living, Amy is there to help.

Sometimes people don’t reach out to JFS until there is a crisis. Amy works with older adults to be proactive.

“We try to implement a plan with options before a crisis happens,” she said.

Amy comes to her position at JFS with an extensive background in social work. She holds a degree in psychology from Ottawa University and a master’s degree in social work with an emphasis in aging studies from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Amy’s past experiences include working in a domestic violence shelter and in older adult rehabilitation.

Amy finds her work at JFS challenging yet rewarding.

“I’ve met a lot of interesting people and you hear wonderful stories,” she said.

“When you are able to help you feel that you’ve made an impact on someone’s life.”