Letitia Williams Parker

Throughout my 26-year career, I have dedicated myself to working in community services, building communities and building resources for those that need the services. I have consistently worked with non-profit organizations, providing case management and services to individuals in low-income areas, particularly residents of Chicago Housing Authority. My roles have included procurement, managing case management, connecting people to the resources they need, and providing supervision to staff, helping guide them professionally to be able to provide those services to the communities we work in. For the past 3 years, I have served as a manager over two re-entry programs, which I consider my most notable professional achievement. In this role, I supervise licensed master social workers who provide mental health services to individuals in re-entry. A typical day involves getting people connected to mental health services, supporting staff when we have to be dispatched to an individual who needs assistance for their children, or helping someone who's having a mental health breakdown because of the pressure of getting out, taking on their children, and running a household after being incarcerated for 2 or 3 years. We help navigate services when children are having issues in public schools, and work to get individuals stabilized so that they can lead a valued life and be able to provide for the children that they serve.