I am a social worker, educator, and counselor and have been working in this field for 15 years. I am passionate about transforming the way we think about and provide mental health services, and it is so exciting to be part of a program that honors and is informed by the lived experiences of youth and families we serve.

As the director of BTG I strive to create inclusive spaces where our team, youth, and other partners can safely try new things, provide mutual support, and grow as individuals. I also work with advocates and mental healthcare providers in our agency and across the country to create best practices and resources for supporting LGBTQ+ youth in care, transition-age youth, and survivors of child abuse.

I really enjoy reading, knitting/sewing/crafting and spending time with my friends and my cats. I also love musical theater and have been singing and dancing since I was very young.

My role is to help support the youth we serve with confidence, so they can build hope to become resilient individuals as they transition out of care. What made me so interested in this job is that I enjoy helping teens and young adults grow up to become stable adults.

I also have some lived experiences that allow me to support youth in a meaningful and effective way. I have always wanted to give back to those in the child welfare system, because I have been in their shoes before. What makes me so passionate about this work is that I have the experiences and drive to support youth to the best of my abilities.  I believe that if the youth struggle, I struggle.

When helping guide or support a young person my main goal is to not judge, just support. Every individual’s experience is different and if we can remember that, we all can reach our main goal which is building hope, recovery, and resilience in all the youth we serve.

I am into fashion and outside of work I enjoy shopping and working out.

As the Youth Development Coach with Bridging The Gap, I strive to work closely with our Youth Development Specialists and youth, offering a wide range of support services while using my lived experience.  My passion is to empower youth, to help them advocate for themselves and others, and to help them find their “right” path. All youth need support, and it’s up to us to provide it. ​In addition to my work, I like to bake and I play the bass.

I am a Youth Development Specialist with Bridging The Gap.  A few of my attributes consist of me being a great team player, for example giving advice to others when they need it the most. Communication is key to me, so I like to be able to communicate with my colleagues and peers and help in any way I can. Some of my hobbies are playing sports and cooking, because it’s a great way to engage with my family. A lot of people know that I play basketball but I also love volleyball.

The goal for me is to have a connection with my peers to bring a peaceful work environment to the office daily. With my spirit, personality and ambition, I feel I will be a great asset to the team, and I appreciate the support of my BTG team! 

I’m a Youth Development Specialist with Bridging The Gap. I aim to support youth and young adults become the best version of themselves after experiencing life changing trauma, with no judgment. I myself have experience in similar situations which allows me to relate and understand, and also to show empathy. 

When working with BTG members, I want to be able to relate, support, and them help obtain a foundation to a healthy life on their own and show them how to advocate for themselves. I am thankful for being a part of BTG because I can be that role model and help youth and young adults become strong and independent. I want to be their support system, like the one I wish I had during my time in foster care. I want to be that person that wants nothing but the absolute best for them.  

Something you may not know about me is that I love playing kickball and used to play competitively in high school.

I had the incredible privilege and opportunity of serving as Bridging The Gap’s first social work intern and am excited to continue to support the work of BTG. As a current social worker and former social justice educator, I believe in the power of youth voices and the potential of youth advocacy.

In my role supporting the development of Bridging The Gap’s referral and intake process, I strove to make space for youth to be active agents in their membership with Bridging the Gap from their very first encounters with the program. This represents a piece of the Bridging the Gap philosophy that most resonates with me, that young people are seen and treated as the experts in their lives and leaders in their care.

I’m the Data and Information Administrator for Bridging the Gap, the Digital Content Associate at The Jewish Board, a member of NCTSN’s SOGIE group, web designer for Arcanum Magazine, and LGBTQ+ teacher/advocate of 10 years. My current areas of study include gender decolonization, data justice, and globalist anime. I also enjoy deconstructing racist systems and trying to recreate my obaachan’s cooking.

My main goals for the Bridging the Gap team are to reflect the team’s practices of trauma-informed and affirming care in all our digital materials.

I am this year’s Social Work intern at Bridging the Gap. Right now, I am in my last year as a Bachelor of Social Work student at Fordham University. I am so excited to be working with transition age youth. As a person who is in the process of discovering my own strengths and direction, I am passionate about working alongside young people who are doing the same!

At Bridging the Gap, I co-facilitate the LGBTQ+Allies group, help run the intake and referral process, and offer support to the BTG team in their efforts to provide meaningful mental health care to young people. When I am not at BTG, you might find me listening to music and podcasts, trying to learn how to play guitar, writing songs, and spending time with friends and family.

In my role with Bridging the Gap I have the privilege of supporting the program’s work towards evolving our child-serving systems of care. I am responsible for developing ways to measure and report how a philosophy of youth-driven, recovery-oriented, and affirming practice can improve outcomes and enhance service delivery for our most vulnerable youth.

I have 10 years of experience in child and adolescent mental health – both in direct service and as an administrator. This work has focused primarily on working with youth and families managing the impact of complex trauma.

My work with BTG is a daily reminder of the positive impact of non-judgmental coaching and support and the resiliency of youth and families

I was excited and honored to be Bridging the Gap’s second social work intern. I currently attend Smith College School for Social Work. I currently am placed as a second year clinical social work intern at the Brownsville Child Development Center’s Child-Parent Psychotherapy Preventive program providing in-home therapeutic services to families in Brownsville and East New York.

I was born and raised in New York City, and feel honored to give back to the community I love. My passions include working with children and youth, LGBTQ Advocacy, and providing gender-affirming care. I believe that all youth and families deserve to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or immigration status.

I am grateful for everything that youth continue to teach me. I know that healing happens through non-judgmental care, and by celebrating individuals for their strengths. I provide support for youth in many forms, including co-facilitating an LGBTQ & Allies Support group. In my spare time, I love to spend time with friends and family, watch Netflix, and cook.

I joined Bridging the Gap in October 2018 as a Youth Development Specialist. I have experienced and overcome some very stressful circumstances and look forward to sharing the positive coping methods I learned with youth. I am excited to work in the field with BTG members and to help them realize and reach their full potential.

I have a deep rooted love for music and love spending time with my two sons. I was born and raised in Queens.

My role in my career and personal life is to encourage, inspire, and push others to be a better version of their best selves.

As a peer support specialist, it is my endeavor to mentor and enhance the abilities of marginalized youth to advocate for themselves. I love doing this work because it is important for youth to have tangible support with each milestone they will reach. My work is just one of many steps to help them get to the top.