Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Gonzales.
Hi Samantha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began my career as a Behavior Interventionist, working in the homes of children with autism using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). It was my first real job. At the time, I had never even heard of ABA—I just knew I wanted to help people. ABA uses the science of behavior to teach new skills and reduce behaviors that may be harmful or disruptive. The work was challenging, but I loved it. Watching kids learn and grow was incredibly rewarding.
I wanted to get better at what I did. I was eager to learn, to improve my skills, and to understand the “why” behind every strategy. I was fortunate to have amazing mentors who not only taught me strong clinical skills but also showed me the importance of human connection and compassion in this field.
I stayed in ABA for eight years, gaining valuable experience. But over time, I started to feel burned out by the repetitive nature of the work. I found myself asking, “How else can I make a meaningful impact? How can I help people in a different way?”
Around that time, the Regional Center in my area released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a program supporting adults with disabilities—focused on employment and job readiness. My mom, who also works with adults with disabilities as a Regional Center vendor, told me about it. I was excited about the opportunity. My brother and I decided to give it a shot and wrote a program design together. We made it to the interview stage but didn’t get selected. A few months later, the Regional Center released the same RFP again, and we decided to try one more time. On our second attempt, we were awarded the contract.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of so many people. My parents and my brother were my biggest supporters—and a huge part of why I’m here today.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There were definitely many challenges along the way. I was confident in my clinical skills because of my professional experience, but the business side was a different story—I had to learn everything as I went. I asked a lot of questions, did my research, read books, and even made plenty of mistakes. But each one was part of the learning process.
One of the biggest obstacles, especially in the beginning, was having to wear multiple hats. I was the direct support staff, the administrator, the accountant, the marketing team—you name it. The days were long and the hours even longer.
Another ongoing challenge has been making sure we have enough team members to support the work and prevent burnout. With a limited budget, we’ve had to be creative in how we support and appreciate our staff beyond the usual “free pizza” approach. We introduced quarterly appreciation weeks and developed a mentorship program where experienced team members guide and support newer staff.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
What should we know?
1. Integration Works, Inc. provides person-centered services and supports to adults with developmental disabilities. We operate two programs.
The first program is an Adult Day Program called Skill Development Center that focuses on community integration, skill-building, social development, and meaningful daily engagement. Our day program is our largest program and serves 41 individuals. It is a group based program. A big component of our day program is to help individuals develop their job readiness skills and to help create paid internships for them. Our goal at the Day Program is to help individuals become as independent as they want to be and help them develop skills to be ready to work and to integrate into their community.
The second program we operate launched this year and is called Coordinated Career Pathways. The program supports individuals within 2 years of exiting secondary education to find employment. Unlike traditional employment support services, Coordinated Career Pathways offers a structured, time-limited approach with a dedicated 1:1 staff ratio. Participants will receive guidance from a Career Pathway Navigator who understands how to navigate regional center services, Department of Rehabilitation programs, Social Security rules, IEP requirements, Medi-Cal benefits, workforce development organizations, and other community resources. Through our Coordinated Career Pathways, participants will receive a tailored career roadmap and structured career exploration, instead of simply being placed in a job that doesn’t match your interests or preferences.
What are you known for?
2. I think we are known for really helping individuals develop their strengths, finding meaningful employment, and overall enjoying their day program. The case workers who refer individuals to our program tell me they refer their clients because they know we can help them develop skills, that individuals have fun at our program, and that we are actually able to find individuals paid internships or jobs that they truly enjoy. Also, we have two annual events that we started a few years ago that have become very popular. Firstly, we throw a family-friendly Halloween party for the community. This year will be our 4th annual Halloween party! The second annual event is our Art Show. Many of our individuals at the day program are talented artist and we created the art show for them to showcase their work and to sell their work. The individuals work for months to prepare for the art show.
What sets you apart from others?
3. What makes us different is our commitment to both our participants and our staff. Our support team is made up of passionate, forward-thinking young professionals—many of whom are pursuing higher education in related fields. We invest in their growth with leadership pathways, training opportunities, and career development. This creates a culture of fresh ideas, empathy, and professionalism. For instance, we created a staff mentorship program where a senior staff members helps guide and support newer staff. We also provide consistent and mandatory staff training. I found that my team wants to learn how to do their job better so they feel more confident. The staff training gives the team practice in how to handle difficult situations and it good team building.
The way we help our individuals learn skills and find employment is rooted in the tools of ABA to help individuals learn socially significant skills . I use my expertise as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to design individualized learning tools and evidence-based strategies that help individuals develop meaningful, socially significant skills.
What are you most proud brand wise?
4. I am most proud of being an organization that cares about the individuals they serve and has a strong team of caring and highly skilled professionals. It brings me so much joy when an individual shares something like, “I like being here because it feels like you care about me and truly listen to what I want or need help with.” This tells me that the staff are doing an excellent job and providing quality care and supervision to the individuals they support. We put in a lot of time and effort to hire the right team member, train and mentor our staff so they can deliver quality service.
What do you want our readers to know about your services.
5. I want readers to know that a disability is not always visible and when they see someone in the community who is struggling to communicate to be more patient. Also, I want readers to know that individuals with a disability want to work and they can work! So if you are another business owner reading this and you also struggle with hiring the right person, I encourage you to widen your search and be open to hiring someone with a disability.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
There are so many to pick from, but one of my favorite memories was “camping” in our backyard with my brother and cousins. My dad set up the tent and I remember being so excited to sleep outside.
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