Adriana, MSW

Adriana, MSW, is part of our inaugural class of Social Work Residents. A recent graduate from the NYU Silver School of Social Work, she will be exploring Early Childhood Mental Health at the Virginia and Leonard Marx Clinic – part of our Harlem Child Development Center. We’re pleased to welcome her alongside the brilliant cohort of residents. Keep reading to learn more about Adriana and why she is so excited to work with Hispanic families!

What made you want to get into this field?

I’ve worked with kids for as long as I can remember, but I really grew passionate about child development when I worked in a child development program for my undergraduate studies. Infant development seemed so rich to me, and I found babies so incredible! After graduating college, I worked at a therapy school for children of different abilities, and it was there that my passion for child development deepened, so I decided to go back to school for child development and social work.

What led you to apply to our residency?

When I heard about the residency from my supervisor, the opportunity to join seemed like the perfect fit for me. The population of 0 to 7 years of age was exactly what I was looking for, and I felt the position would help me grow in the skills I started to develop during my MSW, like play therapy and parent-child attachment work.

Why did you choose Early Childhood as your focus?

Early childhood is such a fun span of development. Children are developing incredibly quickly in their early years, and the ways that they interact with the world are so important in the first years of life. I think early childhood truly paves the road for someone’s lifelong development – and I also love to play!

What communities/demographics are you most interested in and why?

I’d love to work with all communities, but I’m specifically excited at the prospect of working with Hispanic families since I grew up in a Dominican/Cuban household. I love learning about how different families’ cultures influence parenting!

You spend so much time caring for others; what’s one way you practice self-care?

My self-care is a balance of staying in the community with friends and family while also making time to recharge by myself (I’m a true introvert). One of my favorite ways of recharging is cooking a new recipe. I love food, so both cooking and eating are forms of self-care for me!