Brittany Sanderson has been with St. Vincent de Paul Louisville for two years. She first came here as a practicum student, working on her undergraduate degree in social work. She was hired immediately upon graduation. Brittany started working at DePaul Apartments, but she has increased the number of families she works with to 20. As families transition to permanent housing, Brittany remains with them, supporting in whatever capacity until she and the family determine they are ready to manage on their own.
“The goal of our program is to help ensure the family never returns to homelessness,” explains Brittany. “Families can stay as long as they need to learn the skills needed to be self-sufficient.”
At SVDP, case managers help families with all the paperwork needed to stay in housing. From helping with health insurance forms to filling out rental agreements, case managers are there to answer questions and ease the concerns many clients have. In addition to helping with paperwork, case managers ensure that families know about all the resources available to them, both on campus and throughout the city.
“Families often need resources that extend beyond the nuclear family,” Brittany shares. “Being able to refer extended family to resources like Ozanam Inn or the Open Hand Kitchen can ease the worry and stress our families experience.”
From the moment they enter our subsidized housing program, case managers like Brittany work to make a family’s life more manageable. Case managers help clients make sense of a world of paperwork and rules. They help clients gain independence.
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