Dennine Smith joined Coordinated Assistance Ministries in November of 2019. The Virginia native earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services Counseling from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia and later earned a Master of Public Health degree from Liberty University located in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Dennine’s work experiences include case management in both the public and private sectors. She has worked with families and individuals making eligibility determinations for government programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. In addition, she has worked as a case manager at the Indiana Department of Child Services’ Child Abuse Hotline and has worked with families who have had involvement with the Department of Child Services assisting them with finding community resources to stabilize the family.
Prior to accepting her current role with CAM, Dennine worked at the Indiana State Department of Health as the Adolescent Health Administrator. This role involved managing grants, partnering with other youth serving professionals and organizations to implement initiatives, engaging in quality improvement projects and collaborating with other divisions at Indiana State Department of Health to explore strategies for addressing public health needs.
Given Dennine’s background in case management and public health, CAM enables her to utilize skills and knowledge that she has gained from both experiences. Healthy People 2020 defines social determinants of health as “Conditions in the environments in which people live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.” When individuals face homelessness or unstable housing, their quality of life outcomes are impacted negatively and so housing is a public health concern.
Mrs. Smith has engaged in training on topics including mental health, health equity, cultural competency, leadership, and addiction. She is passionate about examining systems and their impact on marginalized populations as well as creating opportunities to empower and equip individuals and families to transform their lives.
Faith is central in Dennine’s life. She believes in the power of prayer, and CAM's "Pause for Prayer" on Tuesdays at CAM was implemented to create an opportunity for day shelter guests, residents, staff, and volunteers to come together as a group and lift up needs and concerns to God as an act of faith.
Dennine currently serves on the Healthy Families Advisory Board, the Prevent Child Abuse Howard County Church Committee, the Minority Health Alliance of Howard County Board, the Jackson Street Commons Advisory Board, the HUMS Advisory Committee at Ivy Tech, and is the co-chair for the Region 5 Planning Council on Homelessness.
Throughout her career, she has received recognition for her leadership and service in the communities in which she has lived. In December 2023 she received the Jefferson Award for Multiplying Good for her work as executive director of CAM. This award is also known as the “Nobel Prize for Public Service,” the Jefferson Awards recognize ordinary people who do extraordinary things.
In August of 2024, after leading CAM in a three-year fundraising effort, the ministry was able to celebrate liquidating the mortgage debt on its facility purchased in October 2021. Dennine's passion for the work of CAM is a driving force in her leadership of this important ministry.
