​This month the Berkeley team said goodbye to one of our most seasoned and incredible clinicians, Jalecia Jones. We are excited to still have her working at Seneca as she was recently promoted to Clinical Supervisor for the UE West Bay Programs. We are so happy for her and the team at West Bay. Jalecia served the Berkeley Program for 12 years as a mental health counselor initially and then as our lead clinician. She built strong relationships with the kids and their families along with external providers and the internal team. While we will miss her greatly, she is going to be a great addition to the West Bay Team. She brings with her not only her clinical experience and skillset, but a caring heart that is genuinely invested in the kids and the families we serve. Her team members have all been touched and impacted by Jalecia over the years and we all wish her nothing but the best in her next career adventure. We got to spend some quality team time together to celebrate and honor Jalecia and below is a fun photo of most of the team at Berkeley

​Position: Unconditional Education Coach
What led you to your current position: Before starting at Seneca, I was an Education Specialist. It seemed to me that many of the interventions we put in place for the students we worked with who had IEPs would be effective for all students. Why weren’t we normalizing things such as mood checks, taking breaks, focusing on emotions and empathy, and receiving extra support on an academic assignment for all students?! When I saw this Seneca position that focused on broader culture and climate in schools, it felt like the right fit for me. 
 What inspires you to do this work: Every child should be able to go to their neighborhood public school and feel safe, loved, and valued. Every child should have access to education where they learn not only academics but also how to regulate emotions, utilize coping tools, and the importance of being a kind human. And, every child should have fun at school! I hope I can help create that positive school climate, where all students are taught, loved, and cared for unconditionally.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role: Sometimes it’s hard to step back and recognize the broader impact of the work we do in schools; this is something I’m working on celebrating more! One highlight for me this year is school-wide socio/emotional learning. I collaborate with the School Social Worker to create morning meeting lessons for all grades that are focused on SEL and our school’s monthly character traits. At times, this feels like a small drop in the bucket, but when I realize that all students are watching the same videos, doing community building activities, and are engaged in conversations about their emotions and being confident and empathic humans, I can see the positive impact of this work.  
Share your life motto: I’ll quote Ted Lasso: “Be curious, not judgmental.” You never know what someone else is going through; I always try to ground myself in curiosity, understanding, and empathy. 

Name: Katera Green 
Position: Program Assistant for the UE School Based Programs
What led you to your current position: My professional background is mostly in  childcare/early childhood education, and I have been collaborating with community outreach organizations since secondary school. As I have spent most of my time working with marginalized communities, I decided in college that I would focus more on those who are the most at-risk in our communities: children. I began working in early childhood education/childcare and have spent the last several years in a school setting. I have worked with kids from Pre-k to collegiate ages acting as an After School teacher, tutor, mentor, academic success coach, and counselor. Knowing that I have aspirations of going to law school in the future, I wanted to switch from in-person childcare to a more administrative role that would allow me to grow professionally and accumulate skills that I could utilize in my future career.
What inspires you to do this work: I have always loved spreading joy and helping others. In my role, I support 4 different programs: West Bay, South Bay, West Coast Connections, and the SpEd program. Knowing that I am able to help members from these amazing programs everyday and hearing all of the exciting stories from peers about their journeys throughout their careers has helped to inspire me to bring my best self to work every day. As I continue to learn in my role, I cannot help but be motivated by the amazing people I have met.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role: The most recent highlight was when I supported and attended the winter parties for several of the UE programs. My own programs are spread out a bit and I don’t get to see the others much since I do not support them; it was nice to see everyone in the different spaces and really feel the unique energy that each one has. Each team has helped me to learn an important lesson during my time here at Seneca: Success starts and ends with people. Every staff member I have interacted with at Seneca has always emphasized that growth, success, and understanding will come, but so will some twists and turns that may be unexpected. By helping me to offer myself the grace to navigate these, Seneca has shown me a human-centered approach to teaching and learning that I had rarely experienced at previous workplaces.
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself: My motto in life is a quote by Ayn Rand that says, "The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.” I love this quote as it allows me to let go of a doubt-centered mindset and to focus on a goal-centered one. ​

Name: Anisa Siddeeq
Position: Senior Mental Health Counselor
What led you to your current position: I've always wanted to get involved in work centering mental health and when I saw the opportunity to be a counselor, I thought it would be a great experience.
What inspires you to do this work: Some days are difficult in this work, but I believe in the impact of what we do and that is what keeps me grounded.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role: An important lesson I've learned in this role is accepting that you're human- it sounds silly but when you are in a position of being a role model it's hard to remember that. Showing up as my authentic self helps the students more than acting like you have it all figured out every single day. 
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself: My life's motto is you don't have to show up perfectly because showing up as you are is enough. 

Name: Sarah Percy
Position: Clinical Intervention Specialist 
What led you to your current position? I started at Seneca 6 years ago as a Mental Health Counselor at Catalyst and was always drawn to the clinical piece of the work. I learned so much working in a Non Public School (NPS), including the difference that resources and early intervention can make for kids. I wanted to be a therapist and provide services to kids at the mainstream school level so that they don't reach the point of needing to go to an NPS or other more restrictive environment. 
What inspires you to do this work? ​I grew up in Oakland and attended Oakland public schools my whole life, so it feels meaningful for me to now be a clinician within the school system that I attended. As a student growing up and now a staff member in schools for many years, I have seen too many kids who have learned to believe that they are not good enough because they don't have what they need to be successful in schools.  I see my role as helping to empower kids to figure out what they need and what works for them so that they feel confident, capable and loved in their school environments.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? ​I have a client who I have been working with for the past 3 years whose progress has been amazing to see. In the past when triggered, she had a hard time managing her feelings safely. This year, we have seen her use her skills to self-regulate and maintain a safe body through each and every triggering situation that she has experienced. It has been such an honor to see her growth and also the pride that she has in herself. ​​
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself: I don't have a life motto per say but I always try to remember to be kind to myself and others and to ground myself in the thought that we're all just doing the best that we can. ​

Name: Cristina Sanchez-Cruz
Position: Assistant Director of School Partnerships, UE West Bay
What led you to your current position? What leads me to my current position is my desire to grow as a leader, to utilize my voice toward systemic change and to support creating healing centered spaces.
What inspires you to do this work? Within my own adversity, I have learned how valuable it is to create and have a community behind you to support you in times of joy and hardship. My community has helped me to strengthen my voice, given me reassurance that I can overcome the challenges I am faced with and has provided me with so much care when needed. These experiences have inspired me to help build supportive communities for youth, families, and staff because I strongly believe that there is healing and empowerment within community and connection.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? I have learned so much since I started the role in July. However, one that I would like to highlight as Latinx woman and 1st year Assistant Director , is that it is okay to be nervous when trying to take up space, it is okay if my voice shakes, and it is okay if I don’t always know the answer. I am learning and growing and not aiming for perfection, instead aiming to elevate the voices of others and build supportive communities.
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself. Something unique about myself, I love and value creative expression, if it's through arts and crafts, photography, drumming, collaging! I love it all!