The Encompass Links2Health program is designed to provide wraparound care to community members who are unhoused or living outside. This comprehensive program provides adults experiencing homelessness with essential life needs and also helps them improve their health outcomes. Made possible by Medi-Cal funding, our program offers both housing navigation and enhanced care management (ECM) services to qualifying Medi-Cal beneficiaries including adults and/or families experiencing homelessness, adults with serious mental illness or substance use disorder, and adult high utilizers of the healthcare system.
Our Links2Health team works to break down the traditional barriers to health care and serve those wherever they are – living outside, in a shelter, in their doctors' office, or at home. Encompass ECM staff provide ongoing comprehensive healthcare assessments, care planning and coordination, medical transportation, and interpretation services. And our Encompass Housing Navigation staff helps to find affordable housing, establish a housing deposit, interpretation services, and ongoing housing support.
The services our Links2Health staff provide are so important to our Santa Cruz community. They work tirelessly to help our unhoused population every day. We recently interviewed the team about their work and their “why”. We are excited to introduce them to you. Meet our Links2Health Staff!
KRISTIE B. | Senior Manager of Health and Housing
Tell us a little about your job.
I manage all Encompass programs serving individuals who are experiencing homelessness, and are being challenged by loss, poverty, a mental illness, and/or Substance Use Disorder (SUD).
What are you most proud of during your time at Encompass?
From my first role with the Housing Support team over 14 years ago, I took the lead to streamline workflows and procedures. I worked hard to create strong working relationships and collaboration with the County Housing Support team in order to provide high quality support services to the individuals living in Encompass housing. After a few years, my hard work paid off and I had the opportunity to move into a leadership role managing multiple programs, eventually landing me in the role of Senior Manager. Over the years, I have helped launch new programs, supported program design and redesign, and have worked to implement teacher training for both Mindfulness Meditation and CRM. I am most proud of creating cohesive teams, where staff feel seen, heard and supported. When our team is cohesive, our clients benefit too -- and that's so important in the work we do.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
The best part of my job is my ability to shake things up. Breakdowns to breakthroughs! A problem-solver at heart, I love a good challenge! More than that, providing quality services is my number one priority. The people we serve deserve the best we can do. When I see a gap, when I see a barrier, that becomes my main driver to take a deep dive into what is not working and then dig even deeper to see what needs to be done, who needs to be involved and what strategy we need to execute the solution. To be able to zoom out and zoom in is a gift I will not take for granted. Second to this, supporting staff in their everyday work with our Clients brings me immense joy. Our staff work so hard, bring so much heart to their jobs, and really put their all into the individuals we serve. I am a big promoter of self-care and anytime I can support staff in the practice and learning of self-care, I am ALL IN!
LILY P. | Health & Housing Manager
Tell us a little about your job.
I am the Health and Housing Program Manger here at Encompass, which means that I get to manage the Sober Living Environments as well as the Housing Support Team.
What are you most proud of during your time at Encompass?
I have been with Encompass for a little over nine months and I am most proud of building our Housing Support Team. The team is comprised of two wonderful counselors (Rachel Andrade and Courtney Richardson) who work diligently to support our clients. It is an honor to be a part of such a strong and empathetic team.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
The best part of my job is the people. In this field I get to work with the most interesting individuals, both as clients and coworkers. I love hearing people’s stories of joy, triumph, trials and resiliency.
SHANNON N. | Program Coordinator
Tell us a little about your job.
At Encompass, I work on the operations side. I'm responsible for the "back of the house" things including data collection, invoicing, etc. My main goal is to make sure the Links2Health program is running well and that we are meeting our objectives.
What made you want to work for Encompass and, specifically, the L2H team?
I feel very proud to be part of a team bringing a new program to the community. It’s been a great experience bringing a program from an idea to reality. In just one year, we are helping hundreds of clients get support with finding housing and connecting to medical services. Starting a new program comes with its own trials and challenges and I feel proud that we have been so successful in the rolling out and implementation of this new program for Encompass.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
The best part of my job is that the work I do helps people with their quality of life. Having a safe home and the ability to get medical care are foundational aspects of having a healthy and joyful life. I also really enjoy data collection and use. I like to see what changes have happened with the empirical data to back up good and bad decisions made to help us grow to become a better program.
ALEX W. | Lead Enhanced Care Manager (ECM)
Tell us a little about your job.
I am an Enhanced Care Manager or ECM with the Links2Health team. I assist our members with their healthcare goals by helping them coordinate all primary, acute, behavioral, developmental, oral, social needs, and long-term services and supports, including having members participate in the care planning process.
What made you want to work for Encompass and, specifically, the L2H team?
I was drawn to Encompass as an agency because of its commitment to creating positive social change and supporting the most vulnerable populations in our community. I believe in Links2Health's mission to improve the quality of life, overall safety, and health outcomes of Santa Cruz County community members with Medi-Cal coverage. This team takes an innovative approach to providing services that address social determinants of health: comprehensive care management, care coordination, and health promotion, as well as Community Supports (CS); which includes housing navigation and sustaining services.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Obviously, the impact of this program is far-reaching in this community. It makes for meaningful, fulfilling, challenging, and exciting work. There is no place else I'd rather be! What I find most fulfilling in care coordination and case management is the opportunity to make a tangible difference in individuals' lives. I enjoy developing personalized plans, navigating complex situations, and witnessing the positive outcomes that result from effective support. The dynamic nature of the work and the chance to foster resilience in those facing challenges greatly resonate with me.
JESSE D. | Enhanced Care Manager
Tell us a little about your job.
As an Enhanced Care Manager, my role involves meeting with community members who have barriers to accessing healthcare such as SUD, homelessness, and severe mental illness (SMI). Together, we work to build out a care plan based on the member's own goals, such as connecting with a Primary Care Provider, finding specialists, and increasing their understanding of their medical diagnoses. Then, I assist the member in meeting these goals by coordinating care amongst providers and advocating for my members' needs. I also connect members with other resources that they may not be aware of.
What made you want to work for Encompass and, specifically, the L2H team?
I chose to work at Encompass because I have a passion for helping those in need. I see so much inequity in our society, often based around psychosocial circumstance, and it seems an injustice to bear witness without action. So, when I heard of an opportunity to work as an Enhanced Care Manager, I felt this was a genuine opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
My favorite thing about my work so far is when I help a member achieve a long-standing goal. There are few more rewarding feelings.
SHANA S. | Enhanced Care Manager
Tell us a little about your job.
I am an Enhanced Case Manager at Encompass, specializing in navigating and coordinating comprehensive healthcare for clients.
What made you want to work for Encompass and, specifically, the L2H team?
I joined Encompass because of its commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care. The innovative approach of the L2H team aligns with my passion for making a positive impact in healthcare.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
What I enjoy most about my work is being a bridge between individuals and their healthcare providers. It's fulfilling to contribute to improving healthcare outcomes.
ALISSA C. | Community Support Case Manager
Tell us a little about your job.
I currently work for Encompass as a Community Support Case Manager for the Links2Health program. I conduct outreach activities and provide case management to individuals who are experiencing homelessness and may be in the following settings: encampments, on the streets, places not meant for human habitation, meal programs or day centers.
What made you want to work for Encompass and, specifically, the L2H team?
My focus is on serving homeless individuals with serious mental illness or co-occurring substance use disability. I joined the Links2Health program in July of 2022. I was drawn to Links2Health because they serve the population I love serving.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
What I enjoy most about my job is being able to work with people in need hands-on and see them grow and accomplish their goals.
CRISTINA H. | Community Support Case Manager
Tell us a little about your job.
As a Community Support Case Manager, my position entails housing navigation, sustaining services, and retaining services for my clients. I support clients one-on-one, create a care plan based on member's needs, and connect them to community resources and other support.
What made you want to work for Encompass and, specifically, the L2H team?
When I moved back to Santa Cruz County, I knew I wanted to work for a non-profit organization. I came in with a history of case management experience focused on patients with mental and physical disabilities, and I was fortunate to come across this position at Encompass so I could use my skillset with a different population of community members.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I thoroughly enjoy seeing members make progress in their care plan, whether it be getting a job, acquiring income, or moving into their own housing unit.
ALICIA K. | Counselor, Downtown Outreach Worker
Tell us a little about your job.
I provide case management and housing navigation services, and help connect clients to other healthcare services in our community.
What made you want to work for Encompass and, specifically, the L2H team?
I love helping people. I believe that doing this kind of work and helping people every day strengthens our entire community.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Having a positive impact on our clients and helping them to fulfill their goals.
Thank you to the dedicated Links2Health staff! We appreciate you!
To learn more about our Encompass Links2Health program and to access our Referral Form, visit https://www.encompasscs.org/Links2Health.