I’m pleased to announce this month’s promotional spotlight employee, Genesis Gomez, who is currently an Outpatient Therapist at our Antelope Valley Location.
Genesis started her journey at Penny Lane in November 2019 as a Therapeutic Behavioral Specialist (TBS) at our Antelope Valley location. Since that time, she has worked hard accomplishing her goals of becoming a therapist in order to help families in underserved communities. She began an internship with us in May 2022 as a part time Therapist intern, in addition to taking on additional hours as a temporary intermittent case manager for housing in November 2022, before being promoted to Outpatient Therapist in April 2023.
Genesis has a bachelor’s degrees in sociology and in education services from UC Irvine, as well as earning her master’s degree in social work from University of Massachusetts Global during her time with Penny Lane. She also holds an Associate Clinical Social Worker license in the state of California.
Congratulations on your achievements Genesis! Keep up the great work!
-Lori Reid, Penny Lane Centers
Hi All,
My name is Genesis Gomez and I have been committed to Penny Lane’s purpose and mission since November 2019. Prior to Penny Lane I was pursuing a career in the medical field. In 2019 I was working as an LVN for a rehabilitation center in Los Angeles and had set out to continue my education to eventually become a nurse practitioner. I learned about Penny Lane Centers through my husband. My husband was working as a banker at the time and had met a PLC employee at his place of work. He learned about current work opportunities with PLC and given we were moving to the Antelope Valley; we both thought it would be perfect to try out for the position. The position I applied for was the Therapeutic Behavioral Specialist role. At the time, I considered the job a place holder until I was able to find a nursing job in the AV, but little did I know that this position and workplace would expose me too so much more.
As a result of the community work and the people I was given the opportunity to work with, I tapped into unknown passions and talents that led me to make a change in career paths. With the support of my late supervisor, Jeffery Schmidt, I went back to school to obtain my Master of Social Work with the intent to grow within the agency and provide therapeutic services. My late supervisor provided additional supervision, collaborated with other colleagues to ensure I could complete my internship with the agency, and offered flexibility to my then schedule to ensure I could complete my internship while also maintaining my full-time position. My master’s degree was completed in the course of two years which included two different internships. My late supervisor and other PLC leaders ensured I could be successful in both my work and academic goals throughout those two years. PLC further supported this success and growth through offers like educational reimbursement, bilingual differentials, and a sign-on bonus with the new position. Upon completing my masters, I was able to submit a job bid and acquired the role of outpatient therapist. Now, in my new position, the genuine support continues and PLC’s commitment to employee growth continues as well. Though it has been somewhat difficult to adjust to the new demands, tasks and schedule that come with the new role, I feel confident in my success because I know PLC is commitment, community, and collaboration.
