Jennifer Montalvo García, MSW, leads the Social Policy Division at Grupo Nexos. In this role, she oversees policy analysis, design, and implementation of pilot programs.
Her expertise lies in public policy analysis with a focus on drug and substance abuse, well-being, economic development, and their impact on children, youth, and families. She has served as a researcher and policy leader at academic institutions, as well as a social worker with Intercambios Puerto Rico, where she worked directly with homeless individuals and populations affected by HIV. She also lectures on drugs and social policies at the University of Puerto Rico’s School of Social Work (Río Piedras Campus) and at Universidad Ana G. Méndez.
Her research interests include forensic and substance abuse studies, drug policies and their impact on the health system, the design of community and NGO interventions, and training students on public health perspectives and psychoactive drugs. In government service, she oversaw licensing procedures for child homes at the Puerto Rico Department of the Family.
Jennifer holds a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Puerto Rico (Río Piedras Campus) and a Bachelor’s in Social Sciences with a concentration in Criminal Justice from the University of Puerto Rico (Carolina Campus). She also obtained a Diploma in Drug Policies, Health, and Human Rights in Mexico City.
She is currently a member of the Opioid Settlement Remediation Advisory Committee in Puerto Rico, providing recommendations on the strategies to reduce the opioid crisis. In addition, she actively contributes to academic conferences on social work approaches, harm reduction strategies, and the intersection of drug policy, health, and human rights.