Sam is a dynamic leader who has dedicated the last 15 years to collaborating with community leaders, providers, clients, funders, and government officials to expand the vision of what a homeless response system can achieve.

In their current role as Director of Supportive Services at Hemlock and Forge, they are instrumental in developing robust frameworks, policies, and trainings that build supportive housing pipelines across Pennsylvania and Delaware. Sam is dedicated to driving systems-level change and fostering equitable, anti-oppressive systems of care. They firmly believe that “oppression is the absence of choices,” (bell hooks), and center the voices of those most impacted by inequitable systems in their work. They affirm in their work that people should not need to share their story to be deserving of care as housing is a fundamental human right.

Previously, as Policy & Operations Director at the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA), Sam successfully launched and oversaw the Peer Navigation program, which served people living unsheltered in downtown Seattle using a Housing Command Center model. They developed the policies and infrastructure to transition the program from philanthropic to Medicaid (FCS) funding. Prior to their role at the KCRHA, Sam worked for seven years at Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC), the agency which pioneered Housing First Permanent Supportive Housing on the West Coast. During their tenure they served in roles ranging from outreach case manager to Senior Program Manager of Clinical Entry Services. They believe that there is no such thing as someone who is “difficult to serve,” but rather that we operate in systems that actively disempower not only those who need the most support, but also those tasked with providing that support.

Sam has extensive formal training in advanced clinical skills. They are proficient in Motivational Interviewing, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), Seeking Safety, Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment (IDDT), and Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT). Their skills also encompass critical areas such as Housing First Fidelity, Harm Reduction, Opioid Overdose Response, Suicide Risk Assessment and Prevention, and Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, complemented by training in ethical decision-making within harm reduction frameworks and specialized supervision models for multidisciplinary clinical teams. They are a certified trainer for DESC’s Vulnerability Assessment Tool (VAT) and Cultures Connecting: Strategies for Facilitating Courageous Conversations on Race. They hold an active Independent Clinical Social Worker license in the State of Washington and a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University.