Dulce Flores has been “loving every minute” of her work as the Associate Program Manager at the Eastern Los Angeles Family Resource Center. She has been with the organization for five years, and, as a former preschool teacher and mother of a daughter diagnosed with autism, she brings unique knowledge and experiences that help her excel in the role. “It’s my calling”, she says.
ELAFRC has been a partner of Heluna Health since 2017, providing emotional support, information, community navigation and training to families and individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. “At our core we are committed to empowering those we serve and their families”, shares Martha Ornelas-Cruz, ELAFRC’s Director of Operations. “It’s about creating a trusting foundation and partnership where our clients have access to the resources, knowledge, and tools they need.”
In her role, Flores handles a range of responsibilities from developmental screenings to resource referrals, meetings with families, and training other ELAFRC staff members. “Every day is different”, says Flores. “I love that each time I come to work I get to learn something new and interact with new people.”
A crucial piece of Flores’ job is helping families navigate complex processes including applying for Medi-Cal, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and social security. “When I’m working with a family, I want them to feel empowered”, says Flores. “I tell them I’m not going to do everything for you, but I’m going to be here along the way to teach you and guide you, and to help you advocate for yourself. These things can be hard, so I want to give them the knowledge to be leaders and feel confident that they know what they’re doing.”
Dulce leads education sessions at ELAFRC.
ELAFRC’s work is vital to the community they serve, ensuring that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families have access to the services they need. The complexities of the medical, education, and social service systems are often a deterrent for those seeking help, but ELAFRC’s staff works hard to educate their clients on existing services and eligibility requirements, along with guiding them through the actual application processes.
Not only do the organization’s staff members have extensive system knowledge, but their cultural awareness allows them to connect more deeply with families. “The area we serve is about 70% Latino”, shares Ornelas-Cruz. “So, with much of our staff being Latina, we know the language and we have similar cultural upbringings, so we use that to build meaningful relationships.”
In addition, many of the staff have experience navigating these systems for their own children or family members. “We understand how difficult these processes can be”, shares Flores. “We know what parents are going through because we’ve gone through it ourselves.”
Dulce’s work has been vital to the success of ELAFRC. “She has an immense amount of knowledge, and she does a fantastic job of sharing that knowledge with everyone, uplifting other staff members, and increasing their confidence in their own work assisting families”, shares Ornelas-Cruz. “Dulce is a natural leader who understands that the success of our center means that even more families can get access to these much-needed services and resources.”
For anyone looking for support for themselves or their families, ELAFRC is here to help. “One thing I always like to say is that we’re a no-wrong-door agency”, shares Ornelas-Cruz. “If someone is looking for any type of assistance whether it’s navigating the service systems, local education system, or just generic services, they can come to us and we will help connect them with the resources they need.
