PBN Leaders & Achievers 2024 Awards
Jennifer Watkins | Crossroads Rhode Island | Vice president of emergency shelters and housing problem solving
UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS of the community is the best way to offer help and guidance. Jennifer Watkins, vice president of emergency shelters and housing problem solving at Crossroads Rhode Island, keeps this lesson close to her heart and instills it in her employees.
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Watkins dedicates her life to helping others. She proves to be a positive example to her colleagues and the community that is served at the Providence-based homeless services agency.
Watkins expresses compassion while interacting respectfully with guests, and effectively and empathetically manages a team of 40-plus employees at Crossroads. Under her leadership, Crossroads houses more and more families each year, providing much-needed roofs over their heads.
“Working at Crossroads for [more than] 20 years, I’ve seen a lot of growth, which isn’t always a good thing in our line of work,” Watkins said. “We know the solution to ending homelessness – it’s housing, and it’s what we focus on every day.”
A member of Crossroads’ leadership team, Watkins leads the nonprofit’s programs, ensuring they are safe, effective and respectful for clients. Watkins oversees four service programs, including family shelters and a rental assistance program, applying her interpersonal relationships and staying organized so that the programs work well.
With the rental assistance program, Watkins and her staff communicate and collaborate with other organizational functions, including facilities, other housing staff, finance, safety and social services to successfully manage, monitor and maintain the program. She also helps investigate and resolve client complaints and conflicts if they arise.
Watkins also ensures compliance with local, state and federal grant reporting requirements.
Watkins also understands trauma-informed care and introduced trauma-informed language into departmental documents at Crossroads to promote safe living spaces in shelters. Her colleagues know her for her dependability and ability to manage a diverse staff, allowing her to collaborate effectively with community partners.
“The most important part of our work when connecting with the community is fostering trust and building meaningful relationships,” Watkins said. “Through our housing programs, emergency shelters, case management, education and employment services, we want our clients to feel safe and respected.”
