Jasmine Rose Penter, LCSW, first discovered her passion for the human services field while volunteering with Ronald McDonald House Charities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, upon completing her higher education. She was inspired to create a similar program and help others through her work and expertise. Despite her initial goal of becoming a physical therapist, she realized that the profession did not suit her interests as much as she thought it would and pivoted to social work.
Growing up, Ms. Penter had beloved family members who dealt with severe and persistent mental health struggles, leading her to begin considering a path in counseling early in her public education. In 2001, she graduated from Chatham College, now Chatham University, with a Bachelor of Social Work, later attending the University of Southern California and obtaining a Master of Social Work in 2013. For more than a decade, Ms. Penter has excelled as the owner of Ignite LLC, where she was a private practice counselor and coach. As a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) through the Oregon State Board of Licensed Social Workers, she works with adolescents and adults to conduct crisis assessments and recommend medical interventions. She takes great pride in owning her own business. Launching her practice soon after concluding her higher education, she leveraged her extensive experience in social work. Never imagining herself as an entrepreneur or businesswoman, she was pleasantly surprised to find it suited and is extremely gratified to have grown Ignite LLC into her full-time career.
Prior to launching her company, Ms. Penter began her career as a co-program manager with ShelterCare in 2002. From 2006 to 2011, she was an administrator and contributing editor for Integrated Research Services Inc., after which she started as a social work intern with the Laurel Hill Center while completing her master’s degree. In 2012, she accepted a role as an intern with Signature Services and became an administrative assistant, remaining with the company until 2013. For more than five years, Ms. Penter secured experience as a care manager and medical social worker with PeaceHealth, a not-for-profit health care system with hospitals and clinics in multiple U.S. states. Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she left this role to commit herself to Ignite LLC on a full-time basis. Along with many of her colleagues at PeaceHealth, Ms. Penter found herself burned out by an extremely demanding environment. Since devoting herself to her private practice, she enjoys being able to set her own schedule and work with any patients she chooses.
Living by the motto “Ignite your strength,” Ms. Penter is proud to have led an esteemed and highly accomplished career in social work and human services. As a student, she was inducted into the Phi Alpha Honor Society at the University of Southern California in 2012. She has been recognized for her professional achievements with a feature in the Marquis Who’s Who Millennium Magazine and was honored as a Marquis Who’s Who Top Professional in the Wall Street Journal. In addition, Ms. Penter is a Marquis Who’s Who Top Health Care Provider and recipient of the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.
In the future, Ms. Penter hopes to launch a foundation and create an outdoor space to perform walk-and-talk therapy sessions. She plans to build a space where patients can vent their emotions in a safe and controlled manner and aims to incorporate animal therapy into her practice. Further, she is writing a book that she looks forward to completing and publishing soon, among multiple creative projects. When she is not working and pursuing professional goals, Ms. Penter stays active by playing indoor soccer and practicing taekwondo.