Melissa "Lisa" Chavez

Provides person-centered, community-based clinical care management services for the participants in Community Transitions program to ensure comprehensive, coordinated, culturally informed, trauma informed services for people in the community. Provides support to individuals with serious and persistent mental illness, substance use disorders, and homelessness connect to services in the community. Acts as subject matter expert and referral resource specialist.

Provides intensive care management for individuals from state hospitals, acute treatment centers, crisis services facilities, withdrawal management facilities, criminal justice settings, or other acute care settings. Meets with individuals face to face to provide direct client care for successful community transition.

Ability to clinically assess an individual’s needs, including understanding mental health symptoms to coordinate behavioral health services.

Ability to utilize clinical skills such as motivational interviewing to conduct intake and referral assessments.

Completes health needs assessments and collaboratively develop person-centered individualized care plans that includes all activities and services that are essential to meet the specific needs of the client.

Monitors, evaluates, and updates the services in a timely fashion.

Assists in ensuring individuals have all the resources required for daily living (such as: food, housing, therapies, and transportation).

Assists individuals and families in coordinating wraparound services and funding sources to secure needs.

Advocates for the best interest of the individual by working with Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to plan, coordinate services, and communicate with treatment providers.

Assists individuals to apply for appropriate housing vouchers when needed, and support them in locating, applying for, and attaining rental housing.

Assists with benefits acquisition where appropriate, including state and federal programs such as SSDI, SSI, Medicare and Medicaid.

Tracks spending to a budget and obtain approval for spending that exceeds pre-approved limits.

Documents and actively participates in supervision and case consultation.

Provided unbiased consultation, advocacy and extensive review of the individual’s needs in support of a successful exiting from homelessness.

Assisted in transportation, referral and resources support, and coordination of in-person meetings between customers, landlords and involved professionals for potential housing placement.

Planned, developed, implemented, and managed program strategies, policies, procedures, and goals. Tracked data, trends, and reports on progress of goals and performance measures.

Attended trainings and meetings with other Jefferson county Homeless Navigators and service providers, city and county governments and community agencies to serve the individual and families.

Was responsible for managing the city program that serves defendants experiencing homelessness. Works closely with the City Attorney’s Office and those tasked with assessing the compliance of defendants in the One Small Step program.

Performed outreach to encampments offering services and resources.

Partnering with other community non-profits, food banks, and faith based agencies to coordinate, educate, and deliver resources to individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Served as the point of contact for the Severe Weather Shelter Network and Emergency Sheltering Coordinator, working closely with the Arvada Police Department, Fire Department, and Parks department to identify, locate, and assist those into emergency shelter locations.

Exercised strong decision-making skills during high-stress emergency scenarios while adhering to company policies and procedures.

Provided direct services to individuals and assisted them into appropriate housing using the Housing Choice Voucher Program with the Arvada Housing Authority.

Worked closely with landlords to successfully apply for and obtain affordable housing options for individuals exiting homelessness.

Worked closely with the Homeless Navigator to identify housing options.

Assisting individuals with housing vouchers through the housing process from intake to leasing up, moving clients into their own homes, supplying necessary household goods and furniture items.