We are closing out March by celebrating National Social Work Month! Social Work Month is honored each March to recognize the dedication and empathy social workers across the country deliver while providing services to children and adults in need.
During Social Work Month, Partners in Care Foundation wants to recognize and give thanks to our social workers who are committed to providing effective and high-quality care to our program participants and their families.
We currently have fifty-six Social Workers agency wide. They are employed in both our Short-Term Services and Supports (STSS) and Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Departments, with a handful of MSWs also holding Director and Senior Director positions.
Our social workers work closely with participants, who are often frail, underserved and living with multiple chronic conditions, and provide resources to address their health challenges to help them live independently and safely in the community home of their choice.
Thank you to Partners’ Senior Management Council for nominating great individuals for this year’s recognition. We have a number of amazing social workers employed at the agency, and below are stories from four Partners’ staff members with a degree in social work about their passion for the field.
Ana Diaz, MSW, HCBA
Each year, Partners’ Senior Management Council nominates staff members to be highlighted for National Social Work Month.
This year, one of our spotlighted individuals for Social Work Month is Ana Diaz, MSW for Partners’ Home and Community Based Alternative (HCBA) Waiver program.
Ana received a master’s degree in social work from the California State University, Los Angeles, and during her second year of graduate school, she joined Partners’ as a GSWEC intern for the HCBA program. As an intern, she had the opportunity to work with the older adult population, their caregivers, and their families. She received direct experience conducting in-person assessments in hospital settings and long-term care facilities. With her impressive skills, Partners immediately hired Ana as a HCBA case manager upon graduation in 2020.
She is now an MSW for the HCBA program, and a part of the Mental Health Support Pilot for ACSWs, where she provides therapy services. She is also involved in peer training and assists with orienting new employees.
Ana applauds Partners’ HCBA team for their strong comradery and how much support they provide their social workers to be successful in the field. This has motivated her to continue her education and grow her skills to better serve those in her care. Currently, Ana is in the process of receiving her Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) license.
Partners’ is proud of Ana for her continuous efforts to advance in the field of social work to ensure high quality care for participants. Thank you for always going above and beyond Ana and being a great asset to the Partners’ team.
Delia Lazama, Coach, STSS
Each year, Partners’ Senior Management Council nominates staff members to be highlighted for National Social Work Month.
This year, one of our spotlighted individuals for Social Work Month is Delia Lazama, MSW for Partners’ Short-Term Services and Supports (STSS) program.
Her passion for social work and working with the older adult population started when she first joined Partners in 2011 as a GSWEC intern for the Multipurpose Senior Services Program. As an intern, she learned a lot about the physical, mental, and emotional challenges that the aging population face, and how the work social workers do can positively impact their life.
Delia has been with Partners for 11 years now and has worked on multiple short-term services program that include the Community Based Care Transition Program, Anthem Community Care Coordination Program, Blue Shield of California Case Management Program, plus more. She enjoys seeing her contributions impact individual’s lives. From helping to prevent hospital readmissions to providing emotional support during a mental health crisis, making a difference in people’s lives is what makes being a social worker worth it.
Thank you to Delia for her dedication to not only Partners but the field of social work. Social workers like Delia contribute to the success of the agency and reaffirm our commitment to providing high quality care to those we serve.
Christy Lau, Senior Director of CW
Each year, Partners’ Senior Management Council nominates staff members to be highlighted for National Social Work Month.
This year, one of our spotlighted individuals for Social Work Month is Christy Lau, MSSW, Partners’ Senior Director of Community Wellness.
Christy received her Masters in Social Work at Columbia University. During her time in university, she completed various social work and case management internships and discovered that her passion was for developing sustainable solutions to help older adults at a macro level.
She joined UCLA’s Division of Geriatrics as a Program Coordinator after graduating. Her work focused on coordinating training conferences and helping to develop curricula for healthcare professionals to increase knowledge and skills in gerontology and geriatrics.
During these conferences, Partners’ staff were heavily involved as faculty trainers, who taught about the impact evidence-based programs have on improving overall health for older adults. Christy was inspired by the agency’s impactful work and amazed with the various projects and partnerships Partners was a part of. She brought her expertise to Partners in 2016 and has since been instrumental in the success and expansion of the Community Wellness program.
Partners is one of 14 Field Agencies for the Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium (GSWEC), and the Community Wellness department offers macro placement opportunities for social work interns. With Christy’s leadership, her team trains GSWEC interns as workshop leaders for evidence-based programs, learning about program development, project management, community outreach, and much more!
Christy is an example of the vast career opportunities available for social workers and their ability to make an impact at both a micro and macro level. We are inspired by her passion and dedication for the field and fortunate to have her skills and experience in the agency.
Hilda Navarro, ECM Clinical Consultant
Each year, Partners’ Senior Management Council nominates staff members to be highlighted for National Social Work Month.
This year, one of our spotlighted individuals for Social Work Month is Hilda Navarro, a Clinical Consultant for the agency’s Enhanced Care Management (ECM) program.
Hilda joined Partners in 2023. As an ECM Clinical Consultant, she provides clinical support to care coordinators and their participants.
She was always enthusiastic about healthcare, mental health services, and case management and found social work to be the ideal profession.
During her Masters program at the California State University, Northridge, she was a GSWEC intern for the Veteran’s Administration (VA) Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center (SACC) during the 2018-2019 school year. There, she worked with the aging population and held psychoeducation therapy groups, provided medical case management, conducted individual therapy sessions, and lots more. As her knowledge grew, her passion for helping older adults and providing them with mental health support strengthened.
After receiving her MSW, she worked in various nonprofit mental health intensive programs as an associate clinical social worker/therapist, in a dialysis clinic as a nephrology social worker, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for a private practice providing mental health counseling and therapy. She brought her skills and wide experience to Partners in 2023.
Hilda shares that she “enjoys the clinical education she provides to ECM care coordinators so they can meet the clinical needs of the individuals in their care.”
Hilda has a wealth of knowledge and brings broad experience to support ECM as their clinical consultant. We are fortunate to have her apart of our team.
