Jennifer Sagastume Garcia
Whittier,CA
Summary
Case Manager with a strong background in case management who is always prepared to make a significant impact. Proven ability to work independently, collaborate with teams, or adapt to changing needs as necessary. Skilled in client assessments, resource coordination, client care, and and crisis intervention. Dependable, great communication, adaptable, and able to problem solve while under pressure.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Housing Support Specialist
US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
Remote
07.2024 - 03.2025
- Worked with about 60 families who required immediate housing and rental assistance and qualified through the Ms L Settlement. Obtained documents needed for receiving services such as rental agreements, identification, income verification, as well as verification of service documents. Maintained weekly communication with clients and daily documentation in Salesforce. Advocated for clients to receive rental assistance. Provided viable, low-cost resources to families with additional needs apart from housing including health insurance, income programs, and mental health services.
Enhanced Post-Release Services (EPRS) Case Aide
US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
Remote
02.2023 - 07.2024
- Obtained adequate and viable community resources for the unaccompanied children (UCs) and sponsors based on their needs including educational, medical, legal, recreational, emergency, housing, food, and clothing resources by conducting outreach. Kept a resource database of agencies that serve the population in our region. Assisted the sponsors and alternate caregivers (ACGs) with social security applications, inquiries about specialized school services, medical insurance forms, and other referrals as needed. Provided advocacy and support for the UCs and minors with different agencies such as housing authorities, social security offices, and DPSS. Conducted weekly contacts and home visits for staff as needed and assessed for safety of the UCs in their placements. Tracked case data and trends for the team from the start of services to the closing of the cases including the visit dates, key service deadlines, NOCs, and placement disruptions. Closed the team’s cases in Salesforce and the UC portal after verifying that the appropriate assessments and documentation had been completed up to USCRI and ORR standards. Identified cases for the team that fit EPRS requirements by identifying the UC’s needs through reading IMEs, CLEs and Release Requests in the UC Portal. Conducted audits of the team’s documentation and assessment reports to ensure the maintenance of ORR compliance.
Case Manager/Unification Specialist
Urban Strategies
Remote
07.2022 - 11.2022
- Worked with unaccompanied children entering the United States during their shelter stay. Completed intake assessments upon admission and promptly identified potential services. Assessed UC for family information, education, history of trauma, and potential experience with human exploitation/trafficking. Developed interventions and an individual service plan consistent with each child’s psycho-social needs. Initiated, coordinated, and maintained direct contact with each UC, the UC’s family, and the potential sponsor in order to efficiently advance the UC’s family reunification and safe release from the facility. Confirmed the UC was receiving all required services, as well as meeting weekly with the UC to ensure wellbeing. Attended all case staffings, assigned training events, and other meetings as part of the UC’s care team, providing status updates, and collaborating with other team members. Facilitated the timely release of discharge of the UC to identified family members or authorized caregiver/custodian and documented the provision of services in each UC’s case file in the UC portal.
Clinical Case Manager
Illumination Foundation
Fullerton, CA
09.2021 - 05.2022
- Recuperative Care/Medical Respite Facility - Worked with homeless individuals who were recently released from the hospital and needed a clean and safe place to recuperate. Assessed client’s strengths and barriers to develop a case plan that met client’s short and long term goals. Enrolled clients in the Individual Coordinated Entry System (ICES in HMIS) to help connect individuals to housing opportunities such as rapid re-housing, permanent supportive housing, and emergency housing vouchers provided by the Orange County Housing Authorities. Linked clients to programs in order to ensure identified needs are met with housing coordinators, mental health services, substance abuse services, and legal services. Helped individuals obtain identification (ID, SSC, Permanent Resident Card, etc.), income (SSI, SSDI, GR, state benefits, etc.), medical insurance (Medi-cal, Medicare, PRUCOL), and other essential services through referrals.
Case Manager
Volunteers of America - Los Angeles
Remote
03.2021 - 09.2021
- Emergency Rental Assistance Program and Project Homekey- Provided housing assistance for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness due to the pandemic. Handled a caseload of 25 individuals/families weekly (~200 total) in need of a wide variety of services and resources while conducting a comprehensive and detailed assessment of individuals and families to collect psycho-social, financial, employment, housing, education, and health information, as appropriate for all. Performed intake assessments, collected and organized information about clients to build a case on their behalf, which included retrieving income documents such as 1099s, W-2s, 1040s, and other forms. Made sure families could keep their housing by discussing their current situation and strategizing effective ways to prove need for assistance and secure funding. Constantly interacted with individuals to build rapport in order to accurately and effectively advocate for them. Interacted with landlords and management companies to discuss the possibility of assistance and help the client with their arrears.
Advocacy and Training Specialist/Case Manager
Get Safe USA
Hybrid-Remote
06.2020 - 03.2021
- Worked with consumers belonging to the Regional Center of Orange County to improve their safety in the community, online safety, self-defense, and improve their safety in all types of relationships in the form of in-home and online services. Managed a caseload of about 15 weekly consumers with a range of disabilities, between the ages of 8 and 70, and provided comprehensive and detailed training that ensured consumer’s retention of critical information. Performed direct intake assessments according to internal standards for all new referrals. Taught clients how to avoid conflict with others, how to properly interact with law enforcement, and how to defend themselves appropriately when needed. Prepared and submitted reports to the administrative team including detailed meeting notes about each session, levels of progress, the concepts that were taught, as well as how, and completed CPS and APS reports as a mandated reporter when needed. Assisted consumers with building needed skills to navigate social situations, including emergency and non-emergency situations, and interpersonal relationships. Directed family-centered, strengths-based, culturally competent, individualized intake assessments and training sessions for consumers.
Education
B.S. - Sociology/Law and Society
University of California-Riverside
Riverside, CA06-2020
Skills
- Intake Experience
- Case Management
- Adaptable
- Problem Solving
- Time Management
- Detail Oriented
- Customer Service
- Training Others
- Microsoft Office/Google Workspace
- Document Management
- Discharge & Safety Planning
- Salesforce
LANGUAGES
English-Fluent
Spanish-Fluent
Timeline
Housing Support Specialist
US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
07.2024 - 03.2025
Enhanced Post-Release Services (EPRS) Case Aide
US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
02.2023 - 07.2024
Case Manager/Unification Specialist
Urban Strategies
07.2022 - 11.2022
Clinical Case Manager
Illumination Foundation
09.2021 - 05.2022
Case Manager
Volunteers of America - Los Angeles
03.2021 - 09.2021
Advocacy and Training Specialist/Case Manager
Get Safe USA
06.2020 - 03.2021
B.S. - Sociology/Law and Society
University of California-Riverside