Ellen Franks has provided services to people with special needs for nearly 40 years. Beginning her university education and professional career in Israel and continuing in the United States, she has worked with children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health conditions, physical challenges and significant medical conditions. Throughout her career she has been devoted to pursuing best practices. For the past 20 years, she has overseen quality assurance at The Arc Montgomery County, and is currently the Director of Quality Assurance and a member of the agency’s Executive Team.
Ellen is singularly focused on ensuring that the agency follows best practices in all aspects of its work – adherence to agency policies and procedures and the agency’s community inclusion mission, compliance with county, state and federal regulations, board and staff excellence, and maintaining accreditation. She coordinates and chairs the agency’s Standing Committee for compliance with state DDA regulations. She works closely with the agency’s Director of Health Services to ensure comprehensive nursing oversight to all program divisions. She has coordinated the agency’s Standards for Excellence applications since 2011, and before that led the agency’s preparation for three successful CARF accreditations. Ellen also volunteers on the Montgomery County Adult Public Guardianship Review Board as a disability professional. Ellen Franks holds a Master of Arts Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Maryland.