Swift Staff

What is SWIFT ?

Dedication to Student Success & Well-being Student Well-being, Intervention, and Follow-up Team (SWIFT) is a newly created department in the Division of Health, Well-being, & Safety (HWS) focused on crisis response and intervention. SWIFT is dedicated to providing holistic, trauma-informed care to the campus community while promoting the de-escalation/decriminalization of the response to mental health crises. UCR staff will connect you with a SWIFT team member dedicated to compassionately guiding you through the process of being referred to the proper resource and/or professional based on your expressed need.

The SWIFT Team will consist of SWIFT Clinicians who will respond with Campus Safety Responders (non-sworn unarmed professional staff) to support Highlanders in crisis. The co-response and initial assessment are led by the SWIFT Clinician accompanied by a Campus Safety Responder to help transport students to behavioral health or sexual violence-related support and treatment services if necessary.

If safety becomes an issue at any time during a call/encounter, the SWIFT Crisis Clinician will make the decision to escalate the level of care and/or engage Police & Campus Safety.

SWIFT is brought to you by Mental Health & Equity funds to aid highlanders to access specialty and higher-level behavioral health services when needed

SWIFT Team Roles

Clinicians Role

SWIFT Clinicians provide support to UCR community members experiencing a mental health crisis by conducting risk assessments, therapeutic crisis interventions, short-term counseling services, and referrals to other mental health related services on and off campus. SWIFT Clinicians respond in tandem with the Campus Safety Responders when there is a need to dispatch the SWIFT van regarding on-campus wellness checks of UCR students who are reported to be in mental distress, or when a UCR community member needs accompaniment to a behavioral health or sexual violence related treatment service. SWIFT clinical services are streamlined directly based on calls that are referred through the UCR Helpline with the goal of trauma informed crisis support and stabilization. SWIFT Clinicians may provide brief, ongoing follow up care once an initial call/ encounter has been completed to ensure that the UCR community member is successfully re-acclimated.

Well-being Liaison Role

The SWIFT Well-being Liaison builds connections and provides a bridge to services that foster UCR students' health and wellbeing, including increasing awareness and access to mental health crisis resources available on and off campus. The Liaison utilizes knowledge of on and off campus supportive services by answering initial calls that are referred to the SWIFT Program and directing UCR community members to the right resource or professional based on the expressed need. The Liaison additionally works to facilitate student well-being workshops and works with various departments/ resource providers within the Riverside community to ensure access to culturally protective practices.

SWIFT Staff

Ginger L. Wilkerson, PsyD, LMFT
Pronouns: (She/Her/Hers)
SWIFT Director
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
LMFT 51578
Ginger.Wilkerson@ucr.edu

Dr. Ginger Wilkerson (Dr. G) is a licensed marriage and family therapist who received her Doctor of Psychology degree with an emphasis on Christian Counseling from the Christian Bible Institute in Houston Texas, her M.S. degree in Counseling Psychology from Mt. Saint Mary’s College of Los Angeles and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Spelman College located in Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Wilkerson has more than 20 years of clinical experience in community mental health, including work with community-based organizations and public service agencies. One of her most notable achievements was the implementation and leadership of the first mobile crisis response team for children exposed to gun violence in Los Angeles. This was done in partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office.

In addition, Dr. Wilkerson devotes a significant portion of her private practice to counseling women of color and women of faith. Her mission is to help clients nourish their bodies, heal their spirits, and develop their minds to thrive. Author of "The Unhealed Heart: How to Walk into Your Healing Season. ", she provides a therapeutic workbook to assist women in navigating their healing process.

Dr. Wilkerson is an advocate for adolescent girls and began her career by supporting teenage girls with anxiety and depression. She has been featured in articles and media outlets concerning the mental health of adolescents and the importance of mental health screenings. Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and their impact on adults are also of particular interest to her. As a result, she approaches her work through the lens of trauma-informed care.

Dr. Wilkerson places a high value on family and faith and enjoys traveling and early morning workouts!

Jessica Andrea Manio

Jessica Andrea Manio, MSW, LCSW
Pronouns: (She/Her/Hers)
SWIFT Clinician
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
LCSW 87815
Jessica.Manio@ucr.edu

Jessica Andrea Manio, MSW LCSW
Pronouns: (She/Her/Hers)
SWIFT Clinician
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
LCSW 87815
Jessica.Manio@ucr.edu

Gabriella (Gabby) Wilkins, B.A
SWIFT Well-being Liaison
Pronouns (She/Her/Hers)
(951) 827-6719

Gabby is a UCR alum and received her B.A in Sociology from the university in 2017. Since then, she has taken on case management roles in her native area of Northern California ranging from The Women’s Center-YFS, The Housing Authority of Contra Costa County, and The Mental Health Association of San Mateo. Gabby is passionate about promoting the de-stigmatization of seeking support for mental health, assisting those who need compassionate guidance in navigating resources, and encouraging self-advocation. She is pleased to be back in the UCR community serving in a department dedicated to holistic well-being.

As the SWIFT Well-being Liaison, Gabby builds connections and provides a bridge to services that foster UCR students’ health and well-being, including increasing awareness and access to crisis resources available on-campus.

T.L.
Administrative Assistant
Pronouns (She/Her/Hers)
(951) 827-6721

The Administrative Assistant reports directly to the director of UCR's department for Crisis Response and Intervention (S.W.I.F.T. – Student Well-being, Intervention, and Follow-through Team). This role provides operational support to both S.W.I.F.T. and Case Management departments and is charged with streamlining workflow via logistical facilitation for a compilation of various executive projects.

SWIFT Partnership Campus Safety Responders Role

Campus Safety Responders are full-time, non-sworn (unarmed) employees of the campus Police Department within the Health, Well-Being & Safety (HWS) organization, who support a tiered safety response by providing public safety services on campus and other nearby sites owned and/or controlled by the University. CSRs perform the following duties: routine police reports, radio dispatching, emergency first aid, traffic control, building and grounds security, prisoner processing, record bureau assistance, safety escorts, safety protection to mental health response team, response to campus alarms, and assistance to sworn officers as required. SWIFT Clinicians respond in tandem with the Campus Safety Responders.

Oscar Jacques
Campus Safety Responder

Oscar began his career at UCR in 2000 as a Parking Enforcement Officer. During that time, Oscar was also enrolled in Administration of Justice classes at Riverside City College in addition to attending a number of courses at the Ben Clark Training Center where he received several Peace Officer Standard Training Certifications (P.O.S.T) involving de-escalation practices and mental health support. Oscar’s true passion has always been assisting others in times of need by volunteering in community-based activities. Thus, transitioning over to UCRPD as a Campus Safety Responder has allowed him the ability to tap into his passion of serving the public. You may see Oscar around campus at a variety of events and in responding to emergency situations such as: medical aids, fire alarms, community gatherings, assisting unhoused individuals, and assisting community members experiencing a mental health crisis. Oscar enjoys interacting with people throughout his day, so please don't be alarmed if he stops to say "hi" as his goal is to provide a sense of well-being and safety to the campus community. Oscar is excited to be a contributing factor in making the UCR community a safe and enjoyable place to be.

In his time off, Oscar find the value in reading self improvement books and volunteering to help others in need. Oscar also enjoys traveling around the world to experience and learn about different cultures and customs. He additionally has a strong interest in nature and has a special place in his heart for animals. Oscar's overall hobbies include outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and rafting.

Rene Ramirez
Campus Safety Responder
Pronouns (He/Him)

Rene Ramirez began his career within the UC system back in March of 2018 as a Senior Security Guard at UCLA Luskin Conference Center.
His journey in the security industry began in 2005. Rene has extensive experience in community safety having worked for the City of Los Angeles as a Public Safety Officer for nine years. One of the main reasons Rene enjoys working in the security industry is because he loves serving and helping others and he feels this is the right place to do it.
Prior to working in the security industry, Rene served in the Marine Corps for four years as an infantry Marine. He did two combat tours in Iraq. He also deployed to several countries in Asia.
Rene also briefly attended Santa Ana community college where he took several courses in Criminal Justice. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids. He also loves the outdoors and everything that has to do with water such as rivers, lakes, and beaches.
He is grateful to be a member of the Campus Safety Responder Staff and looks forward to being able to contribute something positive for the university.

Sarayi Martinez, B.S.
Campus Safety Responder

Sarayi was born and raised in Riverside County. She received her B.S. in Business Administration from UC Riverside in 2022. While attending UCR, she worked as a Community Service Officer (CSO) for the UCR Police Department (UCRPD). In 2022, Sarayi earned the recognition of CSO “Supervisor of the Year”. After graduating, she continued working for UCRPD, now as a Campus Safety Responder (CSR). A primary duty of hers is to act as the eyes and ears of UCRPD to help maintain the safety and well-being of both UCR students as well as the campus. Therefore, whether it’s responding to radio calls or patrolling campus Sarayi continuously strives to interact and connect more with the UCR community and build relationships.

In her free time, she enjoys watching and playing sports, attending concerts, and cooking. Sarayi also loves to travel with her family.

SWIFT Crisis Response & Intervention