From left are SCM team members Shirl Portillos, Sagarika Sarma, Jennie Baran, Shanna Ryken and Jennifer VanNorman.
The Colorado State University Employee Appreciation Board is highlighting the Student Case Management (SCM) team for excelling at its job and making a difference in the lives of students.
The SCM team provides crisis prevention and intervention services. In difficult situations such as medical, mental health, behavioral, personal or family crisis, illness or injury, a student may find it difficult to navigate the resources and services available. Student case managers consult with students, faculty, staff, families and providers to offer guidance on the next best steps.
According to research and reports on food insecurity on college campuses, many college students do not have enough to eat. To meet this growing issue, over the past couple of years the Student Case Management and Referral Coordination Office has taken on the additional service of working with CSU students to complete Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications in hopes of obtaining SNAP benefits. SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement students in need so they can purchase healthy food and be successful students.
Partnerships
SCM brought direct SNAP benefit assistance to campus. The SCM team has developed partnerships with Larimer County Food Assistance (SNAP), SNAP for College Students – Hunger Free Colorado, Employment First and Energy Outreach Colorado.
In talking about this work, Student Case Manager Shirl Portillos said, “SCM has secured over $2 million SNAP dollars that went directly into CSU students’ stomachs. Due to the overwhelming need to assist students with SNAP, the entire SCM team has been SNAP trained to help students fight food insecurity. So far, this academic year over 600 students have completed SNAP applications.”
The CSU Employee Appreciation Board is grateful to the Student Case Management Team for assisting students with SNAP applications to receive food. The team was celebrated with a pizza lunch.
Colorado State University’s Employee Appreciation Board (EAB) recognizes groups that are providing great service to the CSU community and more. Nominate a campus unit at csueab.colostate.edu.
