What I do
As a case manager for the Healthy Families program, I support families using a strength-based, case management approach. I work with families to assess their needs related to issues such as domestic violence, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, health and nutrition. I also provide advocacy and assistance in obtaining government benefits, housing, education, employment, and other social services and resources. I collaborate with my clients to develop an individualized strategy to meet their short and long-term goals.
Why I work at Phipps Neighborhoods
At Phipps Neighborhoods, I am constantly encouraged to continue to help uplift our community. I have a natural gift for finding resources and making connections, and I’m able to thrive here. My job is more than important, it’s crucial. I help people connect to resources they never knew existed. I help my clients regain hope that their lives can change for the better, that they can do better and be better for themselves and their families. It is extremely gratifying knowing that I helped someone get a job, find an apartment, get the benefits they need to better support their family, or understand it’s never too late for an education.
Success story
Last year I gave a Healthy Families presentation during a REES (NYCHA Resident Economic and Empowerment Sustainability) information session. After the session, Renee Lindquist, Bronx Community Coordinator for REES, introduced me to a man who she said needed help. He had been to other agencies and fatherhood programs, but she thought he needed a program like Healthy Families. He is an unemployed single parent with two children, and suffering from depression.
Since I started working with him, he has committed to his job search, quit smoking, started to socialize more, and dresses more professionally. I am currently counseling him on how to strengthen his communication with his daughter, working with him on his emotional health, and helping him commit to maintaining his substance rehabilitation. He recently told me that, “If it wasn’t for Phipps Neighborhoods, I don’t know what I would do.”
About Healthy Families
Phipps Neighborhoods works with clients to identify specific financial, housing, health or emotional needs, and to provide necessary support and referrals. Residential support services, and youth and adult education programs are provide by Phipps Neighborhoods. Phipps Neighborhoods also helps low-income families and individuals determine public assistance needs, which programs they qualify for, and how to apply for benefits. Learn more.