Katherine Martinez joined Camillus House in 2013 and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Programs. She is responsible for the overall supervision of all programmatic elements of all housing and services programs offered through Camillus House.
Ms. Martinez works to ensure efficient and effective program services that achieve the organization’s outcome expectations for the clients it serves in the various residential and non-residential programs. She also oversees three specialized outreach programs that include the Lazarus Project, which serves individuals with chronic and persistent mental illness, Matt Talbot, and PATH, which serves individuals discharged from jails, hospitals, or other institutions.
Prior to joining Camillus, Martinez served as Homeless Program Coordinator for the City of Miami Beach’s Homeless Program where she oversaw all operations including outreach, emergency shelter placement, and rapid re-housing. Her efforts resulted in a significant increase in beds available for the city’s homeless population. She also served as Homeless Housing Coordinator for the City of Miami’s Homeless Assistance Program.
Martinez began her career in 2004 with Lutheran Services Florida where she served as case manager for several of that organization’s transitional and permanent housing programs. She has extensive experience working with persons who are homeless including families and youth aging-out of foster care.
Born in Panama, Martinez was raised in Miami and attended Florida International University for both undergraduate and graduate studies. She earned a master’s degree in social work. She has been published in the journal Research on Social Work Practice and is currently pursuing her clinical licensure. Martinez has served as both Chair and Vice Chair of the South Dade Housing and Services Coalition and is a member of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust Board.