Action Nexus on Housing and Homelessness
About the Nexus
Based in ASU’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, the Action Nexus on Homelessness is a team dedicated to connecting efforts across siloed systems and agencies in Maricopa County in order to improve service delivery and maximize effectiveness, bringing ASU resources to bear in the pursuit of lasting solutions.
The good news is, agencies working toward ending homelessness in Maricopa County are already collaborating. The Human Services Campus and its partner agencies are a national model in collective impact. However, there is room for greater communication, alignment and shared action among the diverse agencies needed to solve housing and healthcare insecurity.
The Action Nexus’s task is to connect and boost existing efforts, identify opportunities for system alignment and identify opportunities for new solutions, engaging ASU in research and applied solutions. We are currently asking providers what training could help to elevate the quality of service provision. If you have a project you would like to work on with ASU, please contact us.
Contact: actionnexus@asu.edu
Shana Ellis, Executive Director
Shana Ellis has more than 25 years of experience in non-profit management in the areas of aging, disabilities, fundraising and incubation of new programs. Most recently, she was a Vice President of Programs and Services at Area Agency on Aging in Phoenix, Arizona, overseeing programs that enable seniors to enrich their quality of life and remain as independent as possible.
Amber Maiberger, Program Coordinator, Sr. - Shared Housing
Amber Maiberger has worked within social services and academia for over 6 years. As the Program Coordinator Sr for the Shared Housing Initiative of Maricopa County, she is working on increasing access to affordable housing by educating and supporting organizations in implementing shared housing. Prior to joining the Action Nexus, she worked for the School of Social Work’s Field Education Office as a Field Education Specialist, working directly with master of social work students searching for, entering, and completing their foundation and advanced internships. She is the Chair of the harm-reduction organization Shot in the Dark and works directly to foster safe and empowered communities.
Chaelee Chavez, Project Manager
Chaelee Chavez joined the Action Nexus as the Project Manager after three years working in housing in Tucson, Arizona. Chaelee worked at Our Family Services which provides housing services to youth and families experiencing homelessness in Pima County. She was also on the Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness (TPCH) Continuum of Care board and the System Performance and Evaluation Committee.
Jessie Helmes Program Manager, Evaluator
Jessie Helmes joins the ASU Action Nexus as the Program Manager, Evaluator after more than nine years working with student interns in the College of Health Solutions. She brings with her experience collaborating with internal partners and community leaders to build successful programs for students and a passion for working with underserved populations. She is also a volunteer mentor for first-generation students in the One-at-a-Time scholarship program at St. Vincent de Paul.