Jacqueline Espana, Mph Email & Phone Number

Oakland, California

At Motivating, Inspiring, Serving and Supporting Sexually Exploited Youth (MISSSEY) I served clients who are commercially sexually exploitation children (CSEC) or are at risk of being exploited. After the initial intake, I developed care plans with my clients. We focused on their educational, employment, basic needs and mental health goals. I coordinated services with social welfare workers, probation officers, foster families, workers from other community-base organizations, therapists, mentors and teachers, attended court, team decision meetings, and other important meetings with my clients, and always advocated for their needs. I also developed and conducted trainings for community partners. I educated people in school, religious and community based settings on the continuum of abuse, language around CSEC, how recruitment and entry take place, what the short and long-term impacts of being exploited are, trauma bonding and Stockholm syndrome, and best practices for after-care services. Direct service with this population has taught me a great deal about the places where trauma, community violence, public systems and policy interact.

Uc Berkeley

At the California Program for Access to Care (CPAC), UC Berkeley School of Public Health, I assisted with the planning and implementation of the Boys and Men of Color (BMoC) Health Initiative through the drafting of literature reviews, research presentations, recommendations and policy briefs for distribution to policy makers. I touched on subjects such as the digital divide and the value of social media as a ray to reach California's most vulnerable populations, analysis of new health related bills, and educational barriers for BMoC in San Joaquin County. I participated in meetings with the California Endowment, California Health Benefit Exchange, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, Greenlining Institute, and the Assembly Select Committee on Status of Boys and Men of Color in California. I also received scholarships to attend the Insure the Uninsured Project (ITUP) Conference as well as the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting.

San Francisco State University

Metro Academies serves low-income, first generation and historically underrepresented college students by creating cohorts of supportive student communities. I supported Metro Academies staff through research and document generation regarding first generation, low income and underrepresented college students to improve programming and strengthen graduation rates. I also assisted one of the program's professors in Metro Academy’s “Health and Social Justice” course. In addition, I helped develop the new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math 'track' for the program.

Oakland

I worked for a small event planning business that specialized in non-profit and democratic political events. I coordinated Congresswoman Lee, State Senator Hancock, public education and NGO events. I also completed outreach tasks as well as day of coordination in a fast-paced deadline-oriented environment.

Live Oak Park, Berkeley

Upon returning from living and working in Kenya, I shared my knowledge through teaching and elective course at Hickman Charter School. I developed and implemented ‘African Games and Pen Pals’ curriculum on African cultures, games, crafts and Swahili and established ‘pen pal’ program to connect local students with fourth grade scholars in Kenya.

Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya

I lived in the Kibera slums of Kenya for a year working for a very small scholarship organization. I participated in outreach, the selection process and follow-up for the Children of Kibera Foundation (CoKF) High School Scholarship. Once scholars were chosen I supported them in paying their school fees, getting their basic needs met, and conducting programs during their school breaks to discuss college preparation, stigmatism they faced for coming from the slums, and mental and sexual health. I also assisted the Executive Director and Project Coordinator with grant writing and donor communication efforts transnationally. In addition to my duties for the scholarship program, I taught Life Skills courses in the local high school and primary school. From these courses, special after school programs developed and I supported youth in strengthening these clubs and the discussions within them. They had an outlet to discuss the tribalism and political unrest, food insecurity, community violence, government corruption, corporal punishment, poverty, gender equality, HIV stigmatization and lack of sexual health information they faced every day. A pivotal project I planned and executed “End Violence Against Children” campaign, included teacher seminars on alternative forms of discipline, a community-wide poster contest and creative arts festival.

New York City, New York

At the Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture (PSOT) I case managed clients who survived political, tribal, gender, and sexual orientation based torture and somehow managed to escape. I conducted social service assessments and goal setting with recently relocated asylum seeking clients. I helped my clients access social, legal, psychological, psychiatric and educational services. In addition, I designed and facilitated job readiness and housing group workshops that were educational and therapeutic. I helped clients navigate through New York City's public housing application process as well our society's rules around networking, interviewing, handshaking, etc. Groups were an important part of the work because clients could share information and learn from each others experiences. I also operated weekly clinics for medical care for our clients within the hospital and established a medical insurance outreach program.

Master Of Public Health (Mph), Public Health In Community Health Education

Activities and Societies: Co-President of Public Health Organization of Graduate Students (PHOGS)The mission of the Masters Of Public.

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Social Work

Activities and Societies: China Care New York