People of Housing security:
Shelby VanDerMoere

As program manager and community EMT for the Mobile Integrated Health Program, Shelby VanDerMoere is grateful for the opportunity to give back to her community. Her journey to her career today has fostered her compassion and commitment to showing grace to others. 

While Shelby described her academic path toward higher education as non-traditional, it is one that she is incredibly proud of. In the beginning of her academic journey, Shelby found out she was pregnant and made the decision to pause her studies. However, Shelby believes in the importance of being a lifelong learner and wishes to encourage others that “it is never too late” to pursue higher education. 

Shelby stayed committed to her education and went back to school at Purdue Global, taking night classes while also obtaining her EMT license. In November of 2021, she graduated with a bachelor in Human Services. Graduating from college was a very important accomplishment for Shelby. Not only is she a first generation graduate, but all of her kids got the opportunity to watch her walk across the stage at graduation. This moment meant a lot to Shelby. “While it was not traditional, I would not have gotten to do it without them,” Shelby said.

Following graduation, Shelby came across a job opening for a new position as a part of the Mobile Integrated Health Program housed within the Bloomington Fire Department. In this position, Shelby would work as a responder to non-emergency 911 calls, address any issues, and work with clients to find a sustainable solution. Shelby felt like the job had been designed just for her based on her own experiences and skills. “It was like they looked at my resume and created a job for me,” Shelby said. 

During the time this job was posted, her Grandpa’s health was not doing well. It was with her Grandpa one day that Shelby read the job description and he had encouraged her to apply. She filled out and submitted the application sitting with him that day. The following day, her Grandpa passed away and Shelby forgot about the job in the midst of her loss. 

Shelby was excited to find out two months later that she had been selected for the position. She joined the Mobile Integrated Health Program that October of 2022, joining as one of two team members. Shelby later took on the lead role as program manager and hired three more people to join her team. Shelby’s team is now made up of seven people and she describes them as a “big family.” In October 2023, a year after starting the program, they celebrated their 100th referral. Their most recent count in August 2024 showed they have now reached a total of 270 referrals. 

While 911 calls address immediate needs, the goal of the Mobile Integrated Health Program is to problem-solve challenges that arise for residents in Bloomington. Their services include performing wellness checks, assisting individuals dealing with mental health and substance abuse by connecting them with resources, and identifying trip hazards in environments where seniors live. Individuals in need are identified through a referral process. Every referral looks different, coming from a number of sources like hospitals, doctors, neighbors, and community partners like the Centerstone STRIDE and Mobile Crisis teams. On average, the Mobile Integrated Health program responds to 6-10 referrals per week. 

With the Mobile Integrated Health Program, “we want to improve the quality of life for someone by at least 1%,” Shelby said. Shelby and her team follow up with people a minimum of three times, although the average is closer to nine times. “We are sometimes the only people who show up for them.”

Shelby explained how one of the beauties of the Mobile Integrated Health Program is that they follow a patient centered care model that allows them to meet patients where they are at. This component of their program is specifically valuable for residents who are unhoused. The program follows four pathways: elderly management, healthy living, substance abuse, and grant families. 85% of their patients fall under the elderly pathway. 

“we want to improve the quality of life for someone by at least 1%”

While everyday for Shelby looks very different from one another, she and her team prioritize their mental health. They typically start each morning with 15-30 minutes of reading or listening to something that helps them grow personally or professionally. Following this, Shelby and her team triage their day to assess the priority of who needs to be seen. They also spend their day responding to crisis calls and referrals. 

In addition to this, Shelby is also actively involved in the community. One way she stays engaged in the community is by attending the downtown resource officers weekly outreach meetings. These meetings are comprised of inter-agency street outreach workers with a goal of assisting Bloomington residents who are in need of a variety of services such as housing, healthcare, and other supportive services. 

Shelby shared how thankful she is for the opportunity to get to do the work that she does. “I’ve been shown a lot of grace in life and I feel like it is my job to show grace in return,” Shelby said. On days when her job can feel heavy, Shelby is thankful to have the best teammates to lean on. “We take care of one another,” Shelby explained, “I’m gonna keep coming back because that’s my family.” 

Aside from her Bloomington Fire Department family, Shelby shared with us her love for her kids and husband. Shelby has been married a year and has four kids ranging 7-13 years old. “Being a mom is my favorite thing,” Shelby said. Shelby talked very highly of her kids and is very proud of the people they have become. “My kids are truly really good people,” Shelby said. 

Shelby’s family stays busy playing and watching all different kinds of sports. Shelby joked that, when she’s not at work, she’s most likely wearing sports gear. Shelby’s family is also heavily involved in 4-H. In the past, her family has shown pigs, and they currently have a family farm where they raise goats. Her family is expecting baby goats in January 2025. 

Along with her involvement in family sports and 4-H, Shelby also enjoys being involved in her church, reading, volunteering in the community, and baking for her side business called “Whisk It.”