04/09/2025
Meet the ACIL Team.
Kara Risk, Employment Training and Advocacy Specialist
Kara Risk has more than 30 years of experience across multiple areas of Social Work. Much of her career was dedicated to supporting families of children with disabilities as a Service Coordinator and Early Interventionist with WV Birth to Three and then eight years teaching in both private and school-based preschool programs. Over the last 4 years, she worked in senior services as a Life Enrichment Associate, specializing in dementia care and creating innovative strategies to foster independence, socialization, and creative expression for residents while supporting their families.
In her current role at ACIL, Kara focuses on Employment Training and Transition Advocacy, mentoring teens and young adults with disabilities as they move from high school into college, careers, trades, or independent living. She also supports individuals of all ages who are ready to enter the workforce and helps those transitioning from hospitals, rehabilitation centers, or skilled nursing facilities back into their own homes.
Kara holds a Bachelor of Social Work from West Virginia University and is a long-standing member of NASW.
Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, biking, and birdwatching on her patio and caring for her cats. A devoted WVU fan, she especially treasures tailgating and cheering on the Mountaineers with her two college-age sons.
