Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Soriano.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nicole. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always had a passion for helping others and giving back. However, I had a hard time figuring out how to implement this into my every day life and ultimately my career. Back in 2015, just after I graduated with a BA in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, I received an amazing opportunity to work for a summer literacy program serving students in the San Fernando Valley. This prompted my move back to Los Angeles and my journey at Wise Readers to Leaders, formerly known as Wise Freedom School Partners. My role was to help manage one of the three sites throughout the six weeks program. During this time, I made incredible connections with our scholars and witnessed the lack of necessary mental health services for low-income families. As time went on and summer came to an end, I realized this is what I wanted to contribute to the world.
One year later, I began Graduate School at Phillips Graduate University to earn my MA in Marriage and Family Therapy. Throughout my time in grad school, I worked for several organizations providing free therapeutic services to school-based clients throughout the Los Angeles area. Now, a year and a half after culminating, I find myself at Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center working in the Outpatient Adolescent Treatment department. Our program integrates psychological, medical, social, and educational services to meet the mental health needs of children and adolescents in the community. Ultimately, my goal is to assist children and adolescents in developing healthy coping skills and a positive sense of self-worth.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Whether it’s a challenging session or an intervention that didn’t go well, I have to be on my game 24/7 for my clients. However, learning to take care of myself has been one of my biggest challenges throughout my experience. It’s hard to remember that mental health professionals have their own lives, this is something I’ve even forgotten from time to time. It has been a learning experience to make sure I put myself first and not allow the stories I hear to follow me home at night. The work I do is extremely difficult and it isn’t easy to leave it at the office once the day is done. This isn’t the type of job where you can go home and vent about your day, everything is kept confidential. Luckily, I have amazing co-workers who understand the unique work in this field and we rely on each other for support. Finding time to process and relax after a long day is so important but is often a challenge for myself and many others who do this work.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center is a non-profit organization located in Echo Park that serves the Greater Los Angeles area. My department, the Adolescent Outpatient Program, works directly with surrounding LAUSD schools to provide therapeutic services to our clients. For our sessions, we may meet at the schools, in the home, in our clinic, or out in the community based on client needs and ability. This program provides continuity of care for children who do not currently require 24-hour inpatient services but still need therapeutic support. In my specific role, I work with clients age 7 to 19 on a range of diagnoses including Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, Oppositional Defiance, and more. I believe our organization is so successful because of the treatment team and support staff. Although we all have our own clients and cases, the environment is extremely collaborative and we share resources and materials with one another as much as possible. If I ever need advice regarding a case, I know I have incredible people behind me to provide support and advice.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Throughout my clinical experience, I’ve seen firsthand the lack of mental health resources for children and adolescents. Unfortunately, mental health services can be extremely difficult to access depending on income and socioeconomic status. However, the challenges do not stop there. Not only is there a high level of difficulty regarding access of care, there is also a lack of basic knowledge regarding mental health. My goal is to bring a standardized mental health curriculum into the schools so children and adolescents have access to this much-needed information. In my opinion, the stigma and negative connotation associated with mental health is perpetuating a lack of acquired services. If education on this subject began at a young age, those who experience difficulties with mental health would be able to obtain the help needed much earlier on.
Contact Info:
- Address: Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center
1891 Effie St.
Los Angeles, CA 90026 - Website: https://www.gatewayshospital.org/
- Phone: (323) 644-2000
Image Credit:
Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center Website
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