PROFILES
words and photography by LINDSEY WAGNER
first, call
FirstLink
F
irstLink has been around for almost 50 years and continues to provide assistance to people who need help finding and identifying access to community resources in their area. They answer the 2-1-1 helpline for all of North Dakota and Clay County as well as the national suicide prevention hotline in all of North Dakota and some of Minnesota. FirstLink also assists the community with crisis work, volunteer disaster coordination and mental health awareness training. Yet all of this would not be possible without the new community navigator, Jennifer Holtz.
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a r e a wom a n
| areawomanmagazine.com
↗ JENNIFER HOLTZ Holtz began her journey at FirstLink in August, but before that worked in behavioral health with children and adolescents for almost 20 years. She worked at Southeast Human Service Center with intensive case management for adults with serious mental illness, and before that she worked at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch as the residential treatment supervisor. The role as community navigator at FirstLink consists of working with individuals, families or other concerned people to provide information and referral and help coordinate care for people. “I work really close with providers. We have a memorandum of understanding with 14 providers who give me regular updates on their occupancy for beds, availability for programs and evaluations,” says Holtz. Individuals are put into a data base where they are able to help identify the appropriate resource for somebody based on their needs. FirstLink will be there to help with the barriers that some may face when trying to receive the help and care that they need.