A Community Built
By Caregivers, For Caregivers
The Caregiver Health & Wellness Alliance was founded on a simple but radical premise: the people who spend their lives caring for others deserve dedicated, professional support for their own health and well-being. Since 2016, we have served more than 2,400 family caregivers across Oregon with evidence-based programs that prevent burnout, restore balance, and sustain the capacity to care.
Empowering Caregivers to Thrive, Not Just Survive
Our mission is to safeguard the physical, emotional, and mental health of family caregivers through accessible, evidence-based wellness programs, professional respite coordination, community support networks, and systemic advocacy. We believe that caregiver health is a public health issue, and that investing in the well-being of caregivers is one of the most cost-effective interventions available to reduce healthcare system burden, delay institutional placement, and improve outcomes for both caregivers and the people they serve.
We are guided by five core values: Dignity — every caregiver's experience and sacrifice deserves recognition and respect. Accessibility — financial barriers should never prevent a caregiver from receiving support. Evidence — our programs are grounded in peer-reviewed research and continuously evaluated for effectiveness. Community — isolation is the enemy of resilience; connection is the antidote. Advocacy — we work to change the systems that leave caregivers unsupported.
Organization at a Glance
2016 in Portland, Oregon
501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt • EIN: 83-4127560
Oregon Health Authority #OHA-CG-20185
Oregon Charitable Activities #CT-48271
Portland Metro, Willamette Valley, and statewide via telehealth
$1.8M (FY 2024) • 87% program services ratio
Born from Personal Experience
In 2013, Dr. Margaret Chen-Ramirez was a practicing clinical social worker specializing in geriatric mental health at Oregon Health & Science University when her own mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease at the age of 62. Over the next three years, Margaret navigated the caregiving journey firsthand: the exhaustion, the isolation, the guilt of needing help, and the shocking discovery that virtually no support infrastructure existed specifically for the caregivers themselves.
"I was a licensed clinical social worker with a decade of experience in aging services, and even I couldn't find the right support for myself," Margaret recalls. "I kept thinking: if this is this hard for me — someone who knows the system — how impossible must it be for families without clinical training or professional connections?"
That question became the seed of the Caregiver Health & Wellness Alliance. In 2016, with a founding grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust and seed funding from Providence Health & Services, Margaret incorporated CHWA as a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a clear mandate: build the comprehensive support system that caregivers deserve but have never had. What began as a weekly support group in a borrowed conference room at the Multnomah County Library has grown into a multi-program organization serving over 400 caregivers annually with a staff of 12 and a volunteer corps of more than 80.
Leadership & Clinical Staff
Our team combines clinical expertise, lived caregiving experience, and deep community roots. Every staff member has either been a family caregiver or has worked directly in geriatric, disability, or palliative care settings.
Dr. Margaret Chen-Ramirez, LCSW, NBC-HWC, CDP
Founder & Executive Director
Margaret holds a Master of Social Work from Portland State University and a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work from the University of Washington. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Oregon #LCSW-08451), a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), and a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP). Before founding CHWA, she spent 11 years in geriatric psychiatry and palliative care social work at OHSU, where she developed the hospital's first caregiver screening protocol for discharge planning.
Margaret serves on the Oregon Governor's Commission on Senior Services and is a past recipient of the Multnomah County Public Health Hero Award. She continues to maintain a small clinical caseload within CHWA's wellness coaching program.
David Okonkwo, MSW, CSWA
Program Director & Support Group Facilitator
David brings 14 years of experience in community mental health and group facilitation to his role as Program Director. He holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan with a concentration in aging and health, and is a Certified Social Work Associate (CSWA) in Oregon. David oversees all program operations, facilitates the General Caregiver Circle and Memory Care support groups, and leads quality improvement initiatives.
A former caregiver for his father who lived with Parkinson's disease, David brings both clinical skill and personal understanding to his facilitation work. He is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), motivational interviewing, and trauma-informed group practice.
Rachel Whitfield, CNA, CDP
Respite Care Coordinator
Rachel manages CHWA's respite care network, maintaining relationships with over 120 vetted in-home care providers, adult day programs, and residential respite facilities. With a background as a Certified Nursing Assistant and eight years of experience in home health agency management, Rachel understands both the operational and emotional dimensions of arranging relief care. She also coordinates Medicaid K-Plan applications and Veterans Aid & Attendance benefits navigation for qualifying families.
Elena Vasquez, BA
Community Outreach & Volunteer Manager
Elena leads CHWA's community engagement strategy, managing volunteer recruitment and training, corporate partnership development, and public awareness campaigns. She coordinates our annual Caregiver Appreciation Week events and manages relationships with referring providers across the Portland metro health system. Elena holds a Bachelor's in Public Health from Oregon State University and previously served as Outreach Coordinator at the Multnomah County Area Agency on Aging.
Community Partnerships & Funders
CHWA's work is made possible through the generous support of institutional funders, healthcare system partners, and community organizations committed to caregiver well-being.
Oregon Health & Science University
Clinical referral partner and research collaboration on caregiver health outcomes. OHSU Geriatric Medicine refers caregivers to CHWA at discharge and for ongoing community support.
Providence Health & Services
Founding funder and ongoing program supporter. Providence ElderPlace adult day health centers are key respite partners in our care coordination network.
Multnomah County Aging Services
Administers Older Americans Act Title III-E funds that support our support groups, workshops, and youth caregiver initiative. Critical referral pathway for families navigating county services.
Meyer Memorial Trust
Provided CHWA's founding grant in 2016 and has continued to support capacity building and program expansion through multi-year general operating grants.
Oregon Community Foundation
Supports our crisis intervention program and emergency respite fund through donor-advised fund grants and their Health & Wellbeing giving initiative.
United Way of the Columbia-Willamette
Partner agency through United Way's health and human services network, providing referral integration and emergency assistance coordination for caregiver families in financial crisis.
Board of Directors
CHWA is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors comprising healthcare administrators, elder law attorneys, former caregivers, and community leaders. The board provides fiduciary oversight, strategic direction, and fundraising support. Board meetings are held quarterly, and meeting minutes are available upon request.
Contact Us for Board Information →