EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: Ada Diaz-Garcia, LSW, MSW
Nominated by Monique Gibbons & Jacqueline Lantigua, Violence Prevention Instructors
“Leaders instill in their people a hope for success and a belief in themselves. Positive leaders empower people to accomplish their goals.” – Unknown
Ada Diaz-Garcia wears many hats proudly, mother, wife, leader. Ada is the best kind of leader in that she leads with kindness and doesn’t realize the immense impact she has on her team. The Director of Youth, Violence Prevention and Court Support Programs, Ada has been with the YWCA for three years. Prior to accepting her current position, Ada was a Child and Family Clinician for the YWCA. “I was conducting intake assessments and providing short-term/individual play and talk therapeutic sessions for children exposed to domestic violence or who experienced other types of traumas,” said Ada.
In her current role, Ada provides support and guidance to SAFEPLAN, Supervised Visitation, and the Violence Prevention Program. “It is my job to provide leadership and direction to keep the department and programs strong and develop new programs to meet identified needs,” said Ada. Ada’s leadership style and professional attitude can be summed up by words her grandmother would often share with her: “If you cannot help someone, don’t hurt them. Always be kind and good to others even though they might not be good to you.” Added Ada, “By hiring, training and supporting skillful, caring staff, my job is to ensure that clients receive quality services that are provided with compassion and respect, from a trauma-informed perspective.” Quick with a smile, and a well-known coffee lover, Ada is always advocating for her clients and staff.
“Ada has been a great leader to us in the Violence Prevention Team. She goes above and beyond for the programs she supervises,” said Monique Gibbons, a Violence Prevention Instructor. “Her door is always open for guidance and coffee! Ada is the type of person who asks you how you are and truly wants to know the answer. That’s a special kind of person.” Fellow Violence Prevention Instructor, Jacqueline Lantigua, added “Ada has been such an amazing and compassionate director. She shows kindness and patience to everyone she encounters. Ada welcomes all to her door.”
Ada attributes her hardworking nature to her upbringing. “Through my extensive work experience and my solid educational background in community health education and clinical social work, I have gained expertise working with children, adolescents, and adults dealing with a variety of health concerns such as teen pregnancy, substance misuses, and chronic mental illnesses.”
While her childhood dream was to become a physical therapist, Ada has found her calling in this field over the past 12 years. Previously she’s worked at the Center for Human Development as a caseworker under the Children and Families Program, and as a health clinician for Outpatient Behavioral Health Services. “I love to help others. I am very passionate about the work I do,” she said. “Not only as a mental health clinician, but as a program director. I do my best to support everyone on my team and learn from them.”
“I bring a deep understanding of the YWCA’s mission, and the purpose to contribute to our agency’s continued success,” said Ada. “I was inspired by the children/youth I worked with in foster care. They were my motivation to pursue my Master’s in Social Work. I wanted to help them more, but I did not know how. The major reason I wanted to work at the YWCA was because during grad school, there weren’t many conversations about domestic violence/intimate partner violence. I found that very strange. Most of the children/youth I worked with were in foster care because of domestic abuse or substance misuse, or both. I wanted to make a change in their life from a deeper level, and the YWCA’s mission and vision aligned with my passion and beliefs.”
