Dr. Jenaya Tucker has been a social worker for 10 years, serving in a variety of roles in several locales. She has always been drawn to working with the older population, so her new position is a home run – in more ways than one.

A Lynn English High School graduate who still lives in the city, Tucker is excited to be named Lynn’s Director of Elder Services and the Senior Center. She starts on July 27.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time working in a nursing home setting with older adults,” Tucker said. “I’m aware of what the struggles are for them at home, whether it’s lack of support or services. And with that comes lack of socialization and isolation. For older adults, sometimes it can be very lonely.”

The Lynn Senior Center has proven to be an effective antidote for that, with as many as 75 seniors attending Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with some programs running later. Tucker is looking forward to continuing to provide programming that the seniors enjoy, while being open to new options, based on their feedback.

“When I saw the position for the director of elder services, it piqued my interest and made me want to come back to elders because it’s a great way to see the impact of the programming that I can influence and the direct impact that it has for the elders in terms of their socialization and just getting them more involved and out of the house,” Tucker said.

Tucker earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at UMass Dartmouth, a master’s in social work at Salem State University and a Doctor of Healthcare Administration from the Mass. College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She has worked as a social worker in the private and public sector, most recently as the clinical director of Public Guardian Services for a guardianship organization based in Braintree.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Tucker to this important role working with our senior population,” Mayor Jared C. Nicholson said. “The combination of her extensive experience and familiarity with the city has prepared her well for this position. We look forward to her making a successful program even stronger.”

Tucker said while there was a social component to her nursing home work, the new position gives her the chance to play a direct role in seniors accessing those services and opportunities.

“If they have questions or issues with their healthcare, I can also be a resource for that,” she said. “I’m not coming from a place of wanting to overstep. I want to build those relationships myself, hear them out and go from there. I want to make sure that they feel heard and, to the best of my ability, make what they want happen. It’s a change that I’ve absolutely wanted and am looking forward to.”

Tucker serves as board secretary for the Social Work Room, an organization designed to build community for social workers. 

“It’s built by social workers, for social workers,” she said. “It’s really building a community for them outside of work for additional support. We focus on moving your body, self-care, addressing what’s going on in the climate and how that affects their work from the day-to-day. It’s really just outreach and acknowledgment for the work that they do.”

A plant lover who is currently nurturing more than 20, Tucker hopes to cultivate meaningful relationships with the Lynn seniors who rely on the Senior Center for important programming that enhances their daily lives.