Kristen Elkins

Kristen Elkins brings 20 years of experience in the intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) field to her role of Chief Quality, Compliance and Ethics Officer at YAI, which she joined in January 2023. Previously, she served as Chief Operations Officer at Opengate, where she led the organization’s COVID-19 response and oversaw residential and day habilitation programming. Earlier, as Chief Compliance Officer, she developed and implemented compliance policies to meet state and federal regulations. Kristen's diverse background includes roles as a Direct Support Professional, investigator, internal auditor, and program administrator. She holds certifications in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) and Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC) from the Compliance Certification Board. Kristen earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminal Justice with a Forensic Psychology specialization from St. John’s University.