From Case Management to Project Management: Why I Built This Portfolio

Posted by Jermaine Armstead

For a long time, I didn’t think of myself as a project manager.

My background is in behavioral health supporting people, coordinating care, and launching community programs. I knew how to lead teams, get systems moving, and make things work with limited resources. But I didn’t call it “project management.” I just called it my job.

That started to shift when I became a Program Supervisor. I was part of a startup team launching a new program, and I began to notice the structure behind everything the timelines, the workflows, the planning meetings. It looked a lot like what I’d been doing all along. So I started asking questions, reading more, and connecting the dots.

The more I learned, the more I realized:
I’ve been doing project management this whole time. I just didn’t have the language for it.

Colleagues and mentors confirmed it too they said, “Jay, this is project work. You’ve been managing projects for years.”

That realization led me down a new path. I got my PMP®, started preparing for the PgMP®, and began thinking about how I could share my experience in a way that felt real and true to who I am. Not a résumé full of jargon but a clear window into the work I’ve led and the people I’ve served.

That’s why I built this portfolio.

It’s not perfect. It’s not flashy. It’s just me sharing my story, my work, and what I’ve learned along the way. I wanted something that showed the how and the why, not just the job titles and bullet points.

More recently, I’ve been in a period of transition. Being unemployed gave me time to reflect, but also the push I needed to stand out in a meaningful way. This portfolio is part of that, a way to be seen more fully, and to connect with others doing work that matters.

If you’re someone who’s made a pivot, blended different fields, or realized later that your experience had more structure than you thought, I see you. And if you're just curious about where behavioral health, leadership, and project work meet, I’d love to connect.

Thanks for reading.

Jermaine Armstead