Demonstrated, pragmatic leader committed to advancing the value of lived experience with homelessness and creating inclusive spaces in the nonprofit sector that empower, employ, and raise the voices of those who have been there and done that to make the meaningful impact critical to ending homelessness and improve the overall community.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Founder
STREETSCAPE Peer Support Services And Outreach
Boulder, Colorado
06.2023 - Current
Program development derived from and infused with lived experience with homelessness and melded with current best practices, always using homeless-friendly language - no acronyms.
Development, including fundraising, community engagement, grant writing and reporting, and cultivating donor relationships.
HMIS partnership with Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) with program enrollment and access to provide Coordinated Entry and the SPDAT housing assessment series.
I completed Peer Recovery Coach training following SAMSHA best practices in person-centered, trauma-informed, and strength-based approaches while empowering and employing my team with lived experience to obtain the training to provide peer support following best practices.
Subcontracted to provide peer support for individuals transitioning from homelessness into housing and aftercare, increasing successful and sustainable outcomes.
Maintain key collaborative partnerships with other local nonprofits and agencies to maximize resources and impact that ends homelessness.
Homeless Liaison leans on my connection, trust, and established relationships with the homeless community to broker clients into housing, treatment programs, and sober living with agencies and other nonprofits.
Volunteer management, program coordination, and resource allocation when it matters most.
Administrative duties include collecting and tracking data and resource allocations. Ensuring proper reserves are withheld, and financial ratios are pristine. Completing necessary filings with the State of Colorado, creating annual reports, updating pertinent nonprofit databases such as Guidestar, and fully engaging with fiscal sponsors to ensure our ledger meets financial review and audit standards.
Founder and Executive Director
Feet Forward
Boulder, CO
10.2018 - 05.2023
Program development derived from and infused with lived experience with homelessness and melded with current best practices, always using homeless-friendly language - no acronyms. Tuesday in the Park began as a low-barrier housing-focused outreach that morphed into a full-blown pop-up weekly day center, engaging with over 100 individuals experiencing homelessness within an hour. On average, we made over 70 service engagements with local health and wellness and sheltering providers and assisted over 65 people into housing, with a 77 percent recurring rate in 2022.
Development, including fundraising, community engagement, grant writing and reporting, and cultivating donor relationships - grew a pile of socks to a nearly $400,000 operational budget from 2020 to 2023.
HMIS partnership with Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) with program enrollment and access to provide Coordinated Entry and the SPDAT housing assessment series.
I completed Peer Recovery Coach training following SAMSHA best practices in person-centered, trauma-informed, and strength-based approaches while empowering and employing my team with lived experience to obtain the training to provide peer support following best practices.
Purchasing and coordination of resources used for our weekly peer-led outreach program.
Volunteer recruitment and overall management, resource allocation, and program coordination.
Administrative duties include collecting and tracking data and resource allocations. Ensuring proper reserves are withheld, and financial ratios are pristine. Completing necessary filings with the State of Colorado, creating annual reports, updating pertinent nonprofit databases such as Guidestar, and full engagement with our bookkeeper to ensure compliance with all federal and state 501-c.3. Standards.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Human Services
Colorado State University Global
Greenwood Village, CO
07.2022
High School Diploma -
Wheeler High School
Valparaiso, IN
06.1990
Skills
Founder of two peer-led nonprofits serving Boulder Colorado's homeless population
Mission and Vision development led and infused with lived experience with homelessness melded with best practices that compliment existing local missions and fill critical service voids
Cultivating an inclusive, valued space for people with lived experience with homelessness to thrive and pursue further training in SAMHSA best practices in Recovery Coach Training
Leveraging community trust to build relationships and learn the stories of individuals experiencing homelessness critical to service engagement, treatment enrollment, and sustainable housing outcomes
Skilled in Developing key collaborative partnerships with local nonprofits, the City of Boulder, and our Continuum of Care, Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) to maximize impact for those we serve and end homelessness
Well versed in HUD-speak and best practices in low-barrier, housing-focused street outreach and housing-first and SAMHSA Peer Recovery Coaching and Adult and Family Peer Certification
Demonstrated ability in grant writing and securing revenue streams, including sub-contracts with local nonprofits and the City of Boulder, securing $ 175,000 in 2022
Keen eye for detail in financial reporting and documentation necessary for bookkeeping with an emphasis on healthy nonprofit ratios, smart resource allocations, and state and federal compliance 501-c3 standards
Skilled Board Recruitment emphasizing individuals with key community connections, valuable skillsets, and committed to our mission
Deep understanding of policy and systems that intersect with homelessness including criminal justice, public health, and affordable housing
Developed collaborative relationships with Boulder's District Attorney and City Council to problem-solve our skyrocketing drug crisis, high system users, and build a coalition advocating the need for sober transitional housing programs
Provide consultation to localities and counties on trust-building techniques specific to the unsheltered homeless population
Facilitate Homeless Relations training to private sector businesses and community resources that build relationships with individuals experiencing homelessness that reduce problematic behaviors in and around their businesses,
Community Connector through bridge-building to find the common ground necessary to problem-solve complex issues like homelessness and the drug crisis plaguing many communities across the country, including Boulder
Following SAMSA and HUD best practices, I wrote an intensive HCPF Colorado State Medicaid ARPA Grant for a Housing Peer Program Pilot, awarded $227,000 in 2023 to build the infrastructure, including trained peer staff, clinicians, and a Medicaid billing provider, to build capacity and secure a sustainable revenue source with Medicaid billing.
Collaborated with the nonprofit Focus Reentry to develop the program Focus Forward, co-funded and awarded $90,000 by the Daniels Fund in 2022, employing four individuals with lived experience of homelessness trained in Peer Recovery Coaching to provide peer support for sixty individuals experiencing homelessness transitioning into housing and aftercare. The success of Focus Forward led the City of Boulder to allocate $286,000 in ARPA dollars in 2023 to increase program capacity by adding two more peers.
In 2021, Feet Forward was selected as a recommended practice in exemplary trust-building in a homelessness study by The Common Sense Institute and Colorado University Denver. Our peer-led model "helps build trust quickly, speeds up the path to engagement, and furthers the continuity of community by transitioning these individuals out of homelessness with a built-in network of support."
Supervised a team of seven staff members and over forty dedicated volunteers.
Affiliations
Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Lived Experienced Advisory Group for the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), 2022 - Present
Boulder County Homeless Solutions, Collaborative Outreach Panel, 2021 to Present.
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), Single Adult Housing Case Conferencing, 2022 - Present.