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Children’s Services Social Worker of the Year Kristal Cota-Chavez: An “Empowering Source” Who Guides Families to Change and Safety S ince being assigned to the Family Maintenance Voluntary unit in late 2022, Social Services Practitioner Kristal Cota-Chavez has helped dozens of families successfully complete their case plans, safety goals, and graduate. 46 | RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES

Her advocacy for families, leadership in the FMV unit, and willingness to go above and beyond for her colleagues and families earned Cota-Chavez the title of Children’s Services “Social Worker of the Year.” “Families always highlight her as their empowering source, leading and guiding them to make life-changing commitments that address the issues that led to their involvement with Children’s Services,” Social Services Supervisor Berenice Acevedo wrote in her nomination of Cota-Chavez. “She is a role model for other social services practitioners. Her commitment and dedication to Children’s Services is exemplified by her brand, which reflects the agency’s mission and values.” For Cota-Chavez, who’s been an SSP for about three years, the desire to help families is personal. The Family Maintenance Voluntary program is offered to some families whose child is at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation, allowing the child to safely remain in the home while the family willingly accepts services and engages in corrective actions. The voluntary program is limited to a matter of months without court oversight, and case plan goals must be achieved within that period. “We get the opportunity to make a positive impact on families and guide them in breaking generational cycles,” Cota-Chavez says. “As someone who was exposed to childhood trauma, I hope to be the individual who – in my lifetime – showed me empathy and motivation for a better outcome, not only for myself but for my family.” Cota-Chavez says she learns from the families and children she’s had the opportunity to work with. “They’ve shown me resilience and the power to change when

Kristal Cota-Chavez

people have the proper supports in place.” The messages and letters of gratitude Cota-Chavez receives from her clients after their cases have closed “make the long hours all worth it and gives me fuel to keep going.” Since joining DPSS, Cota-Chavez says she is noticing the strides Riverside County has made in prevention services such as the Family Maintenance Voluntary unit. She hopes through engagement with families and the community, Children’s Services can expand understanding that it is here to “support families – not to create perfect families, but safe families.”