Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Cano-Johnson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I immigrated to the USA from Medellin, Colombia at the age of 2. Most often, as part of a Latinx family, children learn to become social navigators. They help translate, make appointments, attend meetings and navigate large systems (school, medical, governmental, etc) due to the language need and other barriers that impact the family’s ability to access resources. Children of Latinx families learn valuable skills: how to advocate for themselves and others, problem solve and break down barriers.
After high school, it became apparent that this role had a name, it was social work. I obtained my Bachelor of Social Work Degree from Rhode Island College in 2003 and then my Master of Social Work degree in 2012. This led to working in the social work field for the last 25 years.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Sometimes the road worth taking is full of obstacles and barriers..but life lessons as well.. Being a first generation college student was one of the first that I encountered. Navigating the college application process and then attending institutions where there were not many Latinos or access to cultural connections, was difficult. These challenges however, prepared me to enter into a field that was predominantly eurocentric and helped me appreciate the skills I could offer in different settings.
In 2015, I decided to create a group private practice that could provide free or low cost mental health services to diverse populations. Having never run a small business before, there were challenges almost every day!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Cano Family Services is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and is a mental health outpatient agency with trauma informed treatment programs that serve children, adults and families. The organization also provides school-based mental health services across four school districts in North Carolina.
At Cano Family Services we have professionally licensed mental health clinicians as well as accredited parent educators to support the needs of our community. This includes a staff of bilingual clinicians. Most of our therapists have specialized training and these include:
-Serving the LGBTQI Community
-Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
-Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS)
-Problematic Sexual Behavior Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents (Group)
-Child Centered Play Therapy
-Internal Family Systems
-Maternal Mental Health
-EMDR
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was described as being determined, driven and curious. I was often the outspoken person in the group and the person who needed to understand the “why” in any particular situation. My interest was always in people, their lives, experiences and the world we live in. It was always fascinating to learn about other people’s journeys through life!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.CanoFamilyservices.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canofamilyservices
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/canoFamilyServices
