Jeanette Takamura

Columbia Social Work Connection

Jeanette Takamura served as the School of Social Work’s dean, the first woman to do so, from 2002 to 2016. She is now a professor at the School in addition to being dean emerita, teaching courses on federal policy.

Jeanette Takamura, Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1997–2001)

Path to Political Involvement

Though she began her career as a practicing social worker serving youth and families, Jeanette Takamura was soon called to serve in government first at the state, and then at the national, level with the goal of advancing policies and programs in aging, health, and related areas. In her native Hawaii, she became involved in Hawaii state government, serving as the chief operating officer of the Hawaii State Department of Health and then as the Director of the Executive Office on Aging within the State of Hawaii’s Office of the Governor, covering aging, health, and long-term care programs for the state.

In 1997 Takamura was appointed by then President Clinton to serve as Assistant Secretary for Aging at the Administration on Aging within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, led by Donna Shalala—a post she held until 2001. During her tenure, Takamura established the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), which was enacted and signed into law in 2000 as a part of the reauthorized Older Americans Act. The creation of the NFCSP served to heighten the nation’s awareness of the invaluable informal support that family members provide to frail and vulnerable persons while also calling attention to the fact that the needs of family caregivers have yet to be adequately addressed. Also during her tenure, Takamura was a key contributor to an Executive Branch-wide planning effort to establish a cross-cutting federal aging agenda for the 21st century, taking into account the challenges and opportunities presented by the coming of age of the baby boom population.

This is not a panacea. The reason I say that is that we do not have a system of long-term care services programs and policies in the United States. And the truth is that caregivers do suffer. So, frankly, I’m an advocate for a universal program that would finance long-term care services and supports across the country.

Jeanette Takamura, on the National Family Caregiver Support Program

More About Jeanette Takamura

Watch the C-SPAN collection of recent appearances by Jeanette Takamura.

Takamura is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Lucy Stone Award from the White House for her advocacy on behalf of elders and caregivers; the Social Work Pioneer Award from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Foundation for her contributions to the establishment of social policies and human services programs; and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, for her outstanding contributions to the promotion of social welfare policies and programs and the status of Japanese Americans. In 2020 ADvancing States (formerly the National Association of State Units on Aging), which represents the nation’s state agencies on aging and disabilities, established the Jeanette Takamura Award for outstanding leadership in caregiving policy, in recognition of Takamura’s leadership in developing the NFCSP. As the first recipient of her namesake award, Takamura said she intended to share the honor “with all the incredible professionals who worked on the team with me to propose, advance, and see to the enactment of the NFCSP.”