Ellen Franks has a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Maryland and 30 years of experience supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavioral and psychiatric challenges. She began her career working with children and young teens in foster care settings in Israel. When she returned to the US, she spent eight years working with adults with psychiatric diagnoses combined with intellectual disabilities. She then worked for 20+ years overseeing Quality Assurance at a large nonprofit agency in Montgomery County, Maryland.