You Have Our Back and We Have Yours

Sarah Fiskin is a 2nd-year Masters of Social Welfare student at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her concentration is in Social and Economic Justice with a focus on the criminal and juvenile justice systems, particularly the intersection of substance use and homelessness with the carceral state. Her past experience includes extensive work in the Los Angeles education system as a counselor and teacher. As a life-long Angeleno, she is proud to be serving our county employees through these difficult and unprecedented times.

Bernice O. López, a first-generation graduate student and Los Angeles native, is currently a second year student in the Master of Social Welfare program at UCLA. As a student in the MSW program, Bernice is acquiring a scholarly foundation to examine structural and institutional systems of oppression and clinical fieldwork experience. Bernice is honored to work with the Public Partnership for Wellbeing (PP4W) team this year and aspires to pursue her LCSW in the years to come by providing public mental health services to socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. Through her work and commitment to social justice, she has created pathways to obtain equitable opportunities; whether it be in Watts and Huntington Park as a high school teacher, a community engagement manager connecting people to services for their beloved pets, or volunteering with incarcerated youth in a detention center to create a restorative justice rehabilitation program. Ultimately, Bernice aspires to devise and implement trauma-informed in- prison rehabilitation programs into our criminal legal system to inform equitable policies to reduce recidivism rates, end mass incarceration and eradicate houselessness in Los Angeles, which disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities.

Alejandra Vargas is a bi-cultural Latine 2nd-year Masters of Social Welfare student at the University of California, Los Angeles. As a UCLA student, Alejandra has provided psychotherapy to children & youth in Los Angeles's Skid Row and case management for unaccompanied minors and refugees throughout Los Angeles County. Prior to arriving at UCLA, Alejandra worked as a Program Coordinator for a California suicide prevention hotline where she supervised a team of 80 volunteers. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz in Latin American/Latine Studies & Literature which informs her commitment to community empowerment, equity in care, and a social justice approach to mental health.

Norma Benicia Lobatos is a first-year graduate student who is pursuing her Master of Social Welfare at the University of California Los Angeles. Previously, Norma worked with individuals who have fallen into homelessness and with folks who have suffered from substance abuse disorder and/or co-occurring disorders. She is experienced in providing case management and counseling from a trauma-informed perspective and facilitating process and court mandated groups. In addition, Norma is certified in crisis prevention intervention. After completing her MSW, Norma  hopes to become a licensed clinical social worker in order to continue to serve her community.

Kiana Naimi earned a Master's of Social Welfare with a specialization in Health and Mental Health Across the Lifespan at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Kiana has planned and provided clinical support to multiple populations from parents, students, and colleagues within schools, hospitals, and government agencies throughout working with various interdisciplinary teams. Having experience working across the lifespan, from supporting teenagers to geriatric clients, Kiana uses a trauma-informed lens to ensure that she meets the population's needs while providing whole-person care. Kiana is most passionate about offering support to those experiencing various grief and losses and continues to expand her knowledge and skill to best help those currently experiencing grief.  Kiana is also registered as an Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW) with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and is earning hours towards state licensure; she is delighted to support you while you continue to support LA!