Staff Spotlight- Amanda McCluskey

Last Updated on Tuesday, 13 July 2010 17:58 Written by HIV Alliance News Tuesday, 30 March 2010 22:54

Staff Spotlight: Amanda McCluskey, Dental Program Manager

Amanda McCluskey has been providing invaluable insight and services to HIV Alliance for five years. In 2004 she began as an intern in HIV Alliance's Needle Exchange Program. At that time she was also a junior in the University of Oregon's Family and Human Services program. Amanda enjoyed working with HIV Alliance so much that after her internship was over she stayed on as a volunteer doing counseling and testing and volunteering in client services. In 2005 she was hired as a case manager and in 2006 she moved into the dental program.

As the Dental Program Manager, Amanda’s job primarily entails grant management and staff supervision. She also works closely with the staff at our partner agencies in the program, Lane Community College and the Community Health Centers of Lane County. Another integral part of Amanda's job involves traveling across the country to all-grantee meetings and conferences, presenting about our program and learning about other dental programs.

When asked what she likes most about her position, Amanda replied, “this program is never dull. I really appreciate being able to travel and get to bring our story to people across the country. I also enjoy working with clients when I get to. This program is especially satisfying to work with clients in, because we provide virtually every service they need for dental care and it is great to be able to bring such a needed service to this population.”

What made you want to work for HIV Alliance?

I really admired the work this agency does for the community. I think all of the programs here are really exceptional. When I first started I was especially drawn to the harm reduction philosophy the agency has. This was something I had not heard of before and it really struck me as a great way to serve clients. I was also drawn to the family-friendly atmosphere at the agency. I think it is wonderful that parents are able to bring their babies into the office. I always enjoy interacting with my coworkers’ kids at work and definitely enjoyed being able to bring my son into work with me too.

What do you like the most about your specific position and/or the organization?

I love all of the great opportunities in this program. There is always a new partnership to be explored or a new project to work on. This program is funded by a demonstration grant so we are always looking for new ways to improve the way we serve our clients.

How can people looking to volunteer get more involved with the program you work within?

We always need volunteers to help in our program. One of the great things about volunteering in dental is that you can actually get hands on experience with clients. Part of this program involves collecting data with clients about their oral health and HIV status. We have volunteers contact clients, mostly by phone, to complete a 20 minute questionnaire.

We also need volunteers to help out with filing and data entry. We have also had volunteers with clinical experience actually help out in the dental clinic too.

Q: Other than HIV Alliance, what's your favorite local non-profit that you think deserves mention?

One of my favorite nonprofits in the area is Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS). I did my senior project at SASS in and worked in their education department doing presentations in local middle and high schools. I really enjoyed being at SASS and I think they do great work in the community.

Q: What activities do you do outside of work?

When I am not at work I spend lots of time at playgrounds with my partner and our 2 year old son. I like to go for bike rides to the Saturday Market when it is nice out, I also like puzzles like Sudoku, Crypto-quote and crossword puzzles. I like to cook and bake and I play pool with friends once a week. I am still pretty terrible at pool, but I fake it well. I love camping in the summer and hiking too.