Shannon Phalen

Case manager helps seniors in big ways and small ones

By Gloria I. Wang

Every morning, Shannon Phalen goes into her office in the Los Gatos Neighborhood Center for an hour or two to pick up messages and make phone calls. Then it's off to do the field work that's required for a senior case manager. Some days she visits clients in the hospital or at their homes. Other days she meets with representatives from other agencies, such as the Live Oak Senior Nutrition Center. Once a week she has lunch with seniors at the Neighborhood Center. And just recently, she took an elderly lady clothes shopping for three hours.

Phalen, 32, says her job as the senior case manager requires "taking care of the smaller things as well as the larger things that arise to help [seniors] stay independent as long as possible." Since she started in mid-December, Phalen has done "smaller" things--such as introducing herself to Los Gatos seniors--and "larger" things, like working with senior coordinator Linda Gallo to implement new programs.

A resident of Capitola, Phalen had previously worked more than 50 hours a week in a skilled nursing facility. After her job ended in November, Phalen looked for a job that would enable her to work with seniors while allowing her to spend time with her two children. The case management opening in Los Gatos was just what she was looking for.

Gallo says, that out of all the candidates she had interviewed for the position, Phalen was the perfect person. "That was it. That was fate," Gallo said. Phalen offered a combination of experience and an easygoing and approachable personality, that was evident right off the bat. Plus, Phalen's last job, in assisted care, was one that required commitment and caring. "If you can work with people there, you can work with people anywhere," Gallo said.

While waiting for her interview to begin, Phalen spent some time in the Neighborhood Center and chatted with some of the senior volunteers there. "The seniors seemed to really respond to her," Gallo said.

In May, the town entered into a $36,000 yearlong contract with Jewish Family Service for case management services. That means that Phalen is an employee of Jewish Family Service rather than the town, and her salary from the 30-hour-a-week job is paid from the agency.

Monica Pagani was hired as the senior case manager initially, but left the job in August because she wanted a full-time position, Gallo says.

Jewish Family Service Executive Director Tim Prince, who was involved in Phalen's hiring process, says the case manager has the technical and professional knowledge that is necessary. "She's very warm and open," Prince said--especially when dealing with seniors.

"Extremely competent, a great listener; she's also friendly and personable," said Los Gatos Community Services Director Regina Falkner.

Phalen, a native of Oregon, earned her degree in social work with an emphasis on mental health and the elderly from San Jose State University in 1999. While she was in school, she worked in nursing facilities and in social services. After she graduated, she worked in mental health and earned her Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist Certificate.

A self-described humorous person, Phalen loves to sew and spends most weekends doing outdoor activities with her husband of 12 years, and her daughter and son.

Gallo and Phalen have worked closely together in the past month and will continue to do so. They are looking to develop more activities, such as movie showings and other social gatherings, and are discussing starting grief support services for recent widows and widowers.

Phalen says the two will make a "strong team." "I'm very happy to work with Linda," Phalen said. "We're really going to be able to meet the needs of the seniors in the community."

Likewise, Gallo says Phalen is doing a "great job."

"You can have all the programs in the world going on, but if the people who are running them aren't approachable and friendly, no one will know," Gallo said.

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