Where a better future is a ‘work-in-progress’

This summer, Isabel, 26, earned her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of Phoenix — a remarkable achievement for a young woman who spent the past six years on welfare and a lifetime confronting feelings of anger and despair.

As a single mom with an 11-yearold daughter, Isabel once thought she couldn’t shape her own future. Today, she happily calls herself “a work-in-progress.” Her goal: to become a Parole Officer and eventually inspire other young girls to do more with their futures.

Isabel is a participant in the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic’s CalWORKs program, which provides mental health services to adult participants of the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Welfare-to-Work program. The primary focus is removing the barriers that mental health issues pose to employment.