Nathaly Ceron's journey to CPC began three years ago when she departed NYC during the height of COVID in the spring of 2020. It was a tumultuous time to be a healthcare worker in a city hospital with so many uncertainties, limited PPE, and Nathaly recalls times when if staff were lucky to have even one mask, they would be reused for weeks on end. Because transportation in the city at that time was challenging, walking to the grocery store for food and essentials involved a six-mile walk, and waits in hour long lines just to enter the store. While her work was rewarding and the need for social workers tremendous during those months especially, Nathaly knew that her compass pointed south to New Jersey where she would eventually move and settle in with her family, and begin a new position as a clinician at the CPC Helen Hermann Counseling Center in Red Bank.
“I sought a safer work environment in a suburban locale where my skills could be used in an outpatient setting. When I learned about the position at CPC and how they were quickly adapting through the pandemic, implementing new ways of reaching clients through telehealth and more, I knew it would be a perfect fit, and a place that I could call home to the profession I cared so deeply about. As soon as I met the team, I knew. Beyond the tangible benefits offered, what attracted me most was the mutual values that the entire organization seemed to share.”
Nathaly credits her supervisor, Alison Lehnart for providing the stability she needed, as well as the leadership skills to provide a collaborative work environment. “CPC cares about the staff, and I really felt that immediately.”
As a Latino, Nathaly reflected that she respects the way CPC addresses behavioral health equity—making mental health counseling services accessible and welcoming in a culturally sensitive environment to anyone who needs those services. “I personally ‘see’ the community; I am Latino, and Spanish is my first language, so this is particularly rewarding for me. There is a huge need in Monmouth County within the Latino community for mental health resources which are accessible and affordable. CPC is providing these services and meeting the needs of our community by breaking down barriers---especially language barriers. We have therapists as well as two psychiatrists who speak Spanish in the Red Bank office, and this can be found throughout the agency.”
In closing, Nathaly shares an anecdote from a former professor which is a beautiful perspective in regard to the profession of social work,
“Being a social worker is not just about "helping people." It's about being able to work with people to support their growth as they accomplish their own goals. This outlook has inspired me to grow and learn, so that others may help themselves.”
We are so appreciative to have Nathaly as part of the CPC team, and we are grateful for the contributions she is making to our agency and in the lives of so many people in the community. For more information about CPC, our programs, and careers, please visit: https://www.cpcbehavioral.org.
For news and media inquiries:
Lynn Lucarelli
VP, Chief Development Officer