The Sanville Community Alliance sponsors socializing, networking, and continuing education programs in collaboration with the Smith College School for Social Work Los Angeles Alumni Group and Pacific Oaks Mar- riage and Family Therapy Programs (traditional, African-American and Latina/Latino Family Studies Speciali- zations).

On November 10, 2012 SCA sponsored a gathering at the home of Monica Blauner, LCSW, Alumnae Area Coordinator of Smith College School of Social Work. In addition to Monica, the organizers were Lynn Rosenfield, LCSW, Alex Kivowitz, PhD, and Alexis Selwood, PhD of The Sanville Institute, and Connie Destitio, LCSW, program director of the Pacific Oaks Latina/Latino and African- American Family Studies Programs.

The highlight of the gathering was a presentation by Gloria de la Cruz- Quiroz, LCSW, entitled: The Impact of Multigenerational Family History: Implications for Practice. Gloria is the program director of the Los Angeles Child Development Center’s school-based mental health program at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy in Los Angeles. The presentation was well- received and sparked an invigorating and enlightening discussion.It was a wonderful opportunity to socialize and network with a diverse group of students and therapists from different backgrounds: Euro- Americans, African-American, Latina/o-Americans, and Asian- Americans. The group included students, faculty, and alumni from The Sanville Institute, Smith College School of Social Work, and Pacific Oaks College.

“Gloria made her presentation stimulating and relevant, evidenced by the level of group participation. I took away a number specific questions to add to my history-taking.”Here are some comments from participants:
“I’m so glad to have had this opportunity. It was well worth the time. I really was moved by the experience and I am glad to see such a diverse group of professionals so interested in social change.”

“The appropriate sharing of personal experience during the discussion greatly deepened my understanding and integration of the profound impact that family history and cultural difference can have on everyday life, even if the individual is unaware or needs to keep the awareness out of consciousness in order to go on.”