San Luis Obispo Unit Report: Ray Ford, LCSW Honored at Event

By L. Jeannette Davis, DSW and Secretary, SLO unit

On Thursday, March 26, 2015, Ray Ford, LCSW, will be honored as the SLO Unit 2015 Social Worker of the Year, in celebration of Social Work Month.

Mr. Ford received a B.A. in Sociology from Long Beach State University and his MSW at San Diego State University in 1984. He began his career as a psychiatric social worker in San Diego County at the Office of Mental Health Social Services. In 1999, he and his family moved to San Luis Obispo County and he began working at SLO County Mental Health as a therapist with their forensic outpatient program.

In 2001 he transitioned back into working with the youth and families at the S.A.F.E. program in Paso Robles. This entailed working with high risk kids and their families in addressing academic, emotional, behavioral, developmental and familial issues. Over time this program became a clinic based service where, as a mental health therapist and site leader stationed at Atascadero Mental Health, he expanded his clinical skills to include systems understanding, program development, and community services. During this time, he also provided clinical supervision to master’s level counseling trainees and interns. Another role he undertook was a part-time position with the Mobile Crisis Service providing crisis evaluations and interventions. Furthermore, he has been a mentor for the Grizzly Academy and a coach and board member for youth softball, baseball and soccer. In the near future he hopes to open a private practice working with youth and their families.

“It has been a wonderful experience to have social work and social service roles to fill my 40-year professional life,” he says. “The inherent rewards to roles in the social work professions are much greater than earlier imagined, knowing that through training and skill development we are able to aid people towards better lives.”

Mr. Ford’s career exemplifies the difference social workers make in the lives of others. His personal life has also been most fulfilling in his role as father to three wonderful kids. His wife, Diane (Rutgers M.S.W. ’80), is employed at Tri-Counties Regional Center.

“Together have raised a son and two daughters with the core values connected with humanism,: he says.

Please come and celebrate Social Work Month and Mr. Ray Ford on March 26 from 5:30pm to  7:30pm, Dinner and refreshments will be served. For information as to place and directions contact the SLO unit at NASWSLO@gmail.com

Future SLO unit meetings that will provide CEUs include the following:
* Thursday, April 23, 2015: Dorothy Pitkin, LCSW will present on her work with Embodied Imagination
* Thursday, May 28, 2015: TBA
* Thursday, June 25, 2015 Catherine Manning, LCSW, will present on People’s Self-Help Housing

No unit meetings July or August