Employee Spotlight : Oliva Estimable
For Mental Health Awareness Month, it is important to Magnificat that we extend our supportive services beyond our properties and programs, and into the actual care of a person. In partnership with New Hope, our Dale Carnegie location case managers and social workers bring positive changes to client lives by facilitating affordable housing and much needed resources; in addition to providing care and attention to the individual beyond processing their paperwork.
One of those case managers is a soon-to-be Master of Social Work graduate, Olivia Estimable. This October, Olivia will graduate from Chamberlin University with a background in psychology and mental health.
Two important lessons Olivia hopes everyone can take away from Mental Health Awareness Month are: “Everybody’s journey is not your journey, and not every action needs a reaction.”
Olivia works with clients at Dale Carnegie, where she facilitates social activities and resources for job fairs that connect clients with; income resources, housing (re)certification, snap benefits, mental health referral, and other state benefits. “My personal goal is for 70% of my clients to have stable income,” she says, “It’s not always easy, and you can’t want it more than they do, but when clients are determined; it makes all the difference. I remember there was a client who had to redo an application four times. His attitude stayed positive until he got approved; his resilience was just amazing.”
She described many challenges residents are up against when striving to take their first steps toward independence, and the need for them to have an advocate throughout that process. “As case managers, with most of our clients, their urgency is levied on us immediately. You can’t let that overwhelm you. I truly enjoy getting to know the clients where they are in life. As a case manager, I’m fully aware that I may be their best and only resources, their single point of contact for most of their problems, and for those reasons, I must make sure they feel heard.”
We are glad to have Olivia Estimable on board with us and are excited to see her become a vital part of who we are!
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