Our Staff

Alison is the Director and Managing Attorney of the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative and the elder law attorney at the Michigan Poverty Law Program. She is also a consulting attorney for the Crime Victims Legal Assistance Project-Elder Justice. Alison engages in systemic advocacy on behalf of older adults and people with disabilities on issues related to individual rights, long term care, public benefits, and elder abuse. Previously, Alison was a staff attorney at Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service (now Disability Rights Michigan); a staff attorney, director of the Elderly Law Project, and Director of Planning at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia; and served as a law clerk in federal district court.  

Alison is co-editor and one of the authors of Advising Clients on Elder and Disability Law (ICLE, 2018).  She serves as the co-chair of the Medical Care Advisory Council and was appointed to serve on the Attorney General’s Elder Abuse Task Force and the Governor’s Nursing Home Workforce Stabilization Council.  She is serving her second term as President of the Governing Board of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care and was a Commissioner of the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging.  Alison also served for seven years on the adjunct faculty of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and for more than 20 years on the adjunct faculty of the University of Michigan Law School.  Alison received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from Yale Law School. 

Alison can be reached at hirschel@meji.org or (517) 827-8023.

Karrie is the Assistant State Long Term Care Ombudsman for Program Quality Improvement.  Karrie was the long term care ombudsman for Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton counties where she advocated for residents of nursing facilities, adult foster care homes, and homes for the aged.  Karrie has extensive experience in health care and long term supports and services.  She worked in outreach for the Capital Area Health Alliance which partners with area organizations to promote healthy lifestyles.  She has been the administrator/director of two local assisted living facilities as well as working in management positions for a home health agency and a continuing care retirement community.  She has helped to develop dementia curriculum for nursing students and facilitated Alzheimer's Support Groups.  She has a master's in public administration with an emphasis in health care administration from Western Michigan University and a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University.

Karrie can be reached at kcraig@meji.org or (517)827-8033.

Matthew is the staff attorney for the Home and Community Based Services Ombudsman Program.  Prior to joining MEJI, Matt worked as a staff attorney for Lakeshore Legal Aid handling a multitude of different legal issues including divorce, child custody, landlord- tenant, Social Security appeals, Guardianship and Conservatorship matters and Medicaid appeals. In addition, Matt worked as a civil litigator for over 15 years in matters involving No-fault claims, automobile accidents, medical malpractice and other related matters. Matt successfully tried numerous jury cases and Arbitrations to verdict during this time. Matt currently serves on the Advisory Board of the William Booth Legal Aid Clinic in Detroit, Michigan and has done so for over 20 years. Matt is also a certified CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for the Oakland County CARE House. CASAs advocate on behalf of neglected or abused children who have been removed from their home and are wards of the Court in Oakland County. Matt received his Bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in 1994 and his J.D. from University of Detroit-Mercy in 1997.

Matt can be reached at mnagaj@meji.org or at (517) 827-8036.

Mireille is Legal Counsel to the Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. She comes to MLTCOP from CVLAP-Elder Justice Initiative in Mt. Clemens, MI, where she was a Staff Attorney. Prior to that she was a Legal Research and Writing Instructor at Wayne State University. She was also in private practice where she practiced doing family, media, commercial and railroad litigation. She received her B.A. from University of Michigan and her J.D. from Indiana University School of Law.

Mireille can be reached at mphillips@meji.org or (517) 827-8037

Salli is the State Long Term Care Ombudsman. Salli brings over 20 years of experience to this position. Before joining MEJI in 2016,  Salli served as the Nursing Facility Relocation Coordinator at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for 13 years.  In that position, Salli  coordinated nursing facility closures and ensured that residents were protected and empowered. Previously,  Salli served as the Program Manager for MI Health Link, Senior Program Manager at the Center for Long Term Care at the Michigan Public Health Institute, and Director of Education and Shared Services at the Michigan Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (now called Leading Age). Salli began her career in this arena when she served as a nursing assistant in a nursing home during college.

Salli can be reached at spung@meji.org or (517)827-8025.

Sarah recently retired from the Altarum Institute where she worked on government and philanthropy supported projects aimed at improving the quality of life and care for frail elders living with disability.  Before Altarum, Sarah served for 13 years as Michigan’s State Long Term Care Ombudsman.  She also worked at AARP, served as the director of the Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program, was an Assistant  Ombudsman and a VISTA volunteer  working on eldercare issues.

Sarah has led legislative and policy efforts to improve the state Medicaid program, long term care regulations, and the Certificate of Need program.  She testified on nursing home quality before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and has been a board member of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care and a board member of the National Association of State Long Term Care Ombudsman Programs.