Employee Spotlight: Steph Hogan A decade of prevention and impact
Steph Hogan is a bedrock of 360 Communities’ Partners for Success® program, which improves graduation rates, attendance, and student behavior. Steph and her colleagues positively impact the lives of over 1,200 students each school year, stabilizing and supporting at-risk youth and their families, assisting school staff, and promoting achievement. Steph’s career journey is one of transformation. It began in juvenile corrections, where she learned firsthand the importance of support and stability for young people.
A lightbulb moment
She needed to make a more significant impact. A lightbulb moment came when she attended a boy’s probation case that included a Partners For Success® family support worker from his school. Meeting that 360 Communities employee flipped a switch for her: the idea of working upstream and providing comprehensive support to vulnerable students and their families made perfect sense! This work would prevent interactions with the justice system down the road. She quickly applied to work at 360 Communities as a family support worker and landed the job.
For over a decade, Steph has represented 360 Communities in multiple schools. Her diverse experiences have honed her creativity and ability to tailor support for the unique needs of families, students, and schools. She provides families with resources like healthy food, winter clothing, school supplies, holiday gifts, financial assistance, housing support, and more.
Trust and partnership
But Steph’s approach is about more than just providing resources. She leverages families’ strengths to make a significant difference for the entire household, especially students. Her empathy and compassion drive her work, making her a trusted and reliable support system for those in need. “It’s a judgment-free place. They need to trust you, know you’re a safe space, and that you’re only there to help them,” Steph says. Throughout her 360 Communities career, Steph has been on the frontlines, supporting families facing the harsh realities of homelessness and financial instability. She says those needs have deepened in the community, and the barriers are challenging in a tight housing market. “There’s nowhere for anyone to go or that they can afford.”
Steph dedicates herself to finding sustainable solutions that help families achieve stability and keep students engaged in school. Caring and dedicated family support workers like Steph Hogan in 360 Communities’ innovative Partners For Success® program make achieving high school graduation more likely for at-risk students. They prevent costly intervention services and create more opportunities for success after high school.
