Staff Profile: Cindy Garcia
By Jan Campbell
The poster above Cindy Garcia’s desk proclaims, “You’re Doing Great!”
A School Social Worker for Family Service Agency’s School Based Counseling Program (SBC), Cindy exudes this positive vibe when working with kids and families at the Carpinteria Family and Canalino Elementary Schools.
Cindy is charged with helping help students and families make the best use of available opportunities and resources and to fully develop each student’s individual potential. Her work involves individual counseling, intensive case management, crisis response and intervention, peer conflict mediation and education to address topics such as bullying and positive parenting strategies.
March 2023 has been deemed Social Work Month with the theme Social Work Breaks Barriers. According to the National Association of Social Workers, “social workers are people dedicated to seeking complete equality and social justice.”
Having registered clinical social workers, like Cindy, embedded at school locations is part of a collaboration with several school districts in the County including Carpinteria Unified, Santa Barbara Unified, Lompoc Unified and Santa Maria Joint High School. The SBC program works to address student challenges that otherwise might go unaided by school academic counselors and teachers.
The school often calls upon Cindy to help students who need support to manage conflict in a constructive way. If a student participated in an altercation, for example, Cindy would work with the student and discuss alternative ways of handling similar situations, such as walking away, getting an adult involved, etc.
When asked why she chose social work as a career path, Cindy described her childhood as challenging. Raised by a single mom, she spent much time on her own and ultimately came to depend on a close group of friends and their families for support – especially during some tough teenage years.
“My friend and their families did so much for me, I wanted to help others going through what I went through – I wanted to give back by offering students the connection and support they need,” said Cindy.
Ashley Labistour, a licensed marriage and family therapist and Cindy’s supervisor said, “Cindy has a way of making students feel comfortable and safe.” As a bi-lingual, bi-cultural social worker, Cindy brings lived experience and cultural competency that is essential to her students and their parents.
School based counseling is just one of many programs delivered by Family Service Agency throughout the county. Please see our Annual Impact report at www.fsacares.org.
School Based Counseling – By the Numbers (2021-22)
