Impact of Friendly Connections for Physical and Emotional Health
Misty Pisani first learned of FriendshipWorks in 2010 when she started assisting individuals in housing, particularly through her clinical internship experience at an assisted living community in Boston. Misty quickly saw the importance of human connection for older adults and the positive impact that FriendshipWorks’ programs made on the physical and emotional health of the residents in her community. She witnessed how empowered they felt to attend off-site medical appointments when they had a friendly supporter accompany them from the FriendshipWorks Medical Escort program. They looked forward to their ‘PetPals’ visits, and many were matched with Friendly Helpers to complete short-term tasks, or Friendly Visitors who provided companionship and friendly conversation. Misty was quickly impressed by the organization and its mission, especially as it aligned with her role of supporting tenancy preservation and community wellbeing in housing.
Since her first introduction in 2010, Misty has remained connected to FriendshipWorks through her continued role and involvement with various housing communities in the Boston area, and has shared information about FriendshipWorks’ programs to colleagues and residents who could benefit from them.
Today, Misty is thrilled to serve on the FriendshipWorks Board and hopes to give back as much as possible to support such an incredible organization which has helped so many older adults, enhancing their quality of life, and building community connection with such compassion.
Misty currently serves as the Director of Resident and Community Programs at Peabody Resident Services (PRS), an affiliate of The Peabody Companies. In this role, she develops, implements, and oversees resident services programs and staff, ensuring they reflect best practices and meet the diverse needs of residents across Peabody-managed communities.
She holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Simmons College School of Social Work and is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW). Misty is also a clinical field instructor for students seeking field experience in the areas of social work and mental health counseling, and has had prior experience in substance use and mental health recovery services, chronic conditions, and dual diagnosis treatment services.
In her spare time, Misty enjoys music, running marathons, and spending quality time with her 7-year-old daughter.
