Angie Sciarrone, a Master of Social Work (MSW) student on the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus and an outreach case manager for Manatee County’s Community Health Program, spoke at the White House in Washington, D.C., during the “Best Practices for Addiction Treatment within Homelessness” summit held April 13-14.
Sciarrone was one of two Manatee County leaders invited to the summit, which focused on addiction and homelessness and was hosted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Angela Sciarrone tours the West Wing with others selected to attend and speak at the “Best Practices for Addiction Treatment within Homelessness” summit.
“I love my job; it’s a forever thing for me,” she said during a recent television interview about her experience.
As an outreach case manager in Manatee County, she works on the front lines, creating pathways for people facing homelessness, addiction and other challenges.
“We just see what their goals are. And it doesn’t have to be a grandiose, big scheme. Of course, we want housing as an end result, but without checking the box of the other things — like untreated mental health, substance use disorder and physical health — we aren't able to reach those outcomes successfully,” she added.
The summit brought together experts from across the country to identify effective strategies for treating substance use disorder and mental illness among individuals experiencing homelessness. The insights gathered will help shape a national toolkit to guide communities facing similar challenges.