Her Story
About Carmen
I've dedicated my entire career to helping people, which has always been my calling. I started with an undergraduate degree in psychology after changing my major three times from physical therapy to nursing and finally to psychology, always knowing I wanted to help people in some capacity. I worked for the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services for 31 years, beginning as a foster care case manager helping families reunite, then moving into supervision of investigations to find out the truth about allegations, and eventually ending my career in the state office writing policy for foster care and monitoring programs across the state. My most notable work involved helping professionals deal with all populations and treating them as individuals, as well as developing policy related to youth transitioning out of foster care. After retiring in March 2015 with 31 years of service, I took my clinical licensure exam in June 2015 and started my independent practice slowly, not expecting it to become full-time. Now I provide therapy through multiple insurance companies and serve as a board-approved clinical supervisor, mentoring professionals seeking their clinical licenses with close to 90% of my mentees passing their exams. At 65, I'm planning to transition my practice by age 70, though I'll likely continue the mentoring work. My practice has grown entirely by word of mouth and referrals, and I often walk into rooms where people know me from presentations and speaking engagements I've done over the years.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Carmen
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to passion, because I love what I do. Those first 31 years flew past, and I didn't start feeling it till the last 5 years. I've always enjoyed what I did, whether it was doing the direct service through foster care as a case manager helping families to reunite, or finding out the truth about an allegation when I was a supervisor, or the consultant part for the department monitoring programs and helping to draft and create policy that would be of benefit to children and families. The joy in this work isn't in the money, although you have to eat and feed your family, but if making money is the sole reason for getting into this work, then this work is not for you because there are too many heartbreaks. What you may see as a small step for the family you're working with is actually a huge step for them.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be committed and understand that the joy in doing this work is not in the money. Although you have to eat and you do want to be able to feed yourself and house your family, if making money is the sole reason for getting into this work, then this work is not for you. There are too many heartbreaks, and there are too many things that can discourage you. But what you may see as a small step for the family that you're working with is actually a huge step for them. You can't make the mistake of thinking there's no difference there. The rewards come from the impact you make, not the financial compensation.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenge is just knowledge, just knowing that things are available. If you like the person, you do more for them, which isn't how it's supposed to be. That gets rid of that equitable chance, because if you don't tell me all the things that would help me, then you are part of my block. That's not my way of practice. Everybody is supposed to have the opportunity. Now, you do what you do with your opportunity, but you at least ought to have the opportunity. In our current environment, there are a lot of steps to block people from having an equitable chance, not the same chance, just an equitable chance. If you give me the opportunity, I can make the best of who I'm supposed to be, because there's space for everyone. Making sure those opportunities are available and being able to volunteer in other spheres to advocate for accessibility for those who are underserved is critical.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Empathy is a big value for me, and it's different from feeling sorry for someone or compassion. Empathy means I understand, but let me help you get to where your next step is. It also involves advocacy, because some people tend to block your next step. In our current environment, there are a lot of steps to block people from having an equitable chance, not the same chance, just an equitable chance. If you give me the opportunity, I can make the best of who I'm supposed to be, because there's space for everyone. Making sure those opportunities are available is critical. I was raised by parents who were very much involved in advocacy and volunteerism. Both were teachers and coaches, and my dad was the first Black recreation Commissioner in the City of Baton Rouge and the Little League Baseball Commissioner, with very few of those positions being paid. My mom was also involved as his helpmate and did her own volunteerism as we grew up. It's just a part of the way we were raised, and I was raised in a historic church very much involved in the civil rights era, so I'm grounded in faith.
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