In this episode , Erica joins Arlys Tineo, LMSW to discuss barriers to language access and the effects this has on clients, families, and clinicians. Blending personal experiences and professional practice, we will explore how micro-aggressions, emotional triggers, and professional burnout all play a role in a lack of translation and interpretation services. We will then explore strategies for language access in social work, providing actionable ways to advocate for a more equitable practice.

Guest Bio:

Arlys Tineo is a first-generation Dominican American social worker, language access advocate, and community leader from Rockland County, New York. She earned her BSW from CUNY Medgar Evers College and her MSW from New York University Silver School of Social Work. As a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), Arlys has worked across clinical and community settings supporting immigrants, unhoused individuals, college students, and unaccompanied youth. She is deeply passionate about cultural humility, mental health advocacy, and uplifting first-generation Latino communities through education, mentorship, and storytelling.

Arlys also has a shop for t-shirts Here

In this episode, Erica and guest Madeline Maldonado, LCSW explore how the protective walls we build—often out of survival—can unintentionally distance us from empathy, connection, and self healing. They talk about the real, often uncomfortable work required to move toward wholeness, and how meeting the parts of ourselves we’ve tucked away with honesty and compassion is essential for growth. They also discussed why doing our own healing is not optional in this field. People cannot guide others through terrain they are unwilling to walk ourselves. This Café y Charla conversation dives into the intersections of healing, empathy, and the responsibility we carry as helpers in our communities.

Bio:

Bilingual clinical social worker, leader, and advocate, dedicated to transforming mental health care through culturally competent practices. With over 20 years of experience, she is the founder of Madeline Maldonado, LCSW Consulting P.C., offering impactful workshops, staff training, and diagnostic evaluations for children, and cofounder of Minette LCSW Psychotherapy Services PLLC, a clinic addressing the unique needs of Latino and BIPOC communities.

Madeline has spearheaded life-saving programs like Life is Precious and the Bronx Latina Suicide Prevention Program. At Fordham Law, she has helped develop mental health wellness initiatives and provides counseling for underrepresented students. She is a co-author of the Amazon-bestselling Latinx/e in Social Work series, a sought-after speaker, and a trusted voice featured on podcasts, national conferences, and media outlets like Telemundo, where she tackles mental health stigma and disparities with expertise and empathy. As a dedicated mentor and educator, Madeline empowers professionals through trainings on combating burnout, fostering resilience, and improving client care.

This week Erica talks to Matt Sandoval, M.Ed., M.S.W., LMSW, about his work as the CEO of Free Arts Arizona. They talk about how his background in social work helps create an honest place for social justice in in his organization, the effects of politics for organizations in purple states, and how his experiences influence his choices.

Bio:

Matt Sandoval, M.Ed., M.S.W., LMSW, is a widely sought after speaker, workshop facilitator, and mental health clinician. He holds a master’s degree in education from Northern Arizona University, as well as a master’s degree in social work from Arizona State University. He is the CEO of Free Arts Arizona.

About Free Arts: Through talented staff and volunteers, Free Arts transforms trauma into resilience through the arts by creating meaningful mentoring relationships. We serve children, teens, young adults, and families who have experienced abuse, neglect, and homelessness. We apply a simple relational formula, Art + Mentors = Resilience. We serve Arizona and provide thought leadership to child welfare, arts and culture, mentoring, and nonprofit spaces. We serve with an understanding of social justice, trauma-informed care, and equity commitments that recognize that care for each other and our environment is a loving act of self-care.

Reach Matt at www.freeartsaz.org or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-sandoval-94765b5/

Follow Free Arts Arizona on IG at @freeartsaz

For social media sharing, contact me or Barry at bhalvorson@freeartsaz.org

I have attached his headshot down below as well!