Mireya’s story encapsulates so much of what makes BronxWorks important – passionate staff who seek opportunities to grow professionally and make a bigger impact through human services. In her nine years at BronxWorks, Mireya has worked as a Case Manager in eviction prevention and supportive housing programs, completed her Master’s Degree in Social Work and licensure (LMSW), served as Clinical Coordinator in the Westchester Avenue Safe Haven, and is now the Director of Social Services with the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team.
“What we do here is a very challenging task, because the homeless population is oftentimes an ignored population. People tend not to see them, or they try not to, and homeless individuals carry that with them. But we don’t ignore them, we actually go and look for them. That’s what is meaningful to me.”
Mireya grew up in New York City and has lived in the Bronx since she was 15 years old. Her family immigrated from Mexico some 50 years ago. She is the first person in her family to have graduated from college and to have attained a Master’s Degree. Mireya completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at Baruch College and her Master’s Degree in Social Work at Hunter College.
In 2015, Mireya started at BronxWorks as a Homebase Case manager. After two years, she moved to the Supportive Housing Department as the first Case Manager for the newly-opened HUD Scattered-Site Supportive Housing Program. “I was excited to join supportive housing,” Mireya says, “because we work with clients for a longer period of time, we’re able to build a relationship with our clients and help them achieve long-term goals.” In 2019, Mireya decided to pursue her MSW. After completing the BronxWorks One Year Residency (OYR) program at the Cooper Gardens Supportive Housing Program, Mireya joined the Westchester Avenue Safe Haven as a Clinical Coordinator in 2021.
“I don’t think I would have been able to juggle having a family, working full-time, and going to school for my MSW without the OYR program. Through OYR, I was able to complete my internship at my workplace, at BronxWorks, which made it doable. I also received a lot of support from BronxWorks staff – Shauna Barry and Amy Greenbaum-Strauss. That made it a crucial experience for me.”
Since August 2023, Mireya has been the Director of Social Services with the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team. She oversees and supports the team’s Case Managers and social services staff, including a hospital Coordinator and Housing Specialist.
Outside of work, Mireya loves to travel with her sister, and recently visited the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Jamaica. She goes to the gym to stay healthy, and loves spending her rare moments of down time with her children, playing music, and catching up on sleep.
Mireya’s story encapsulates so much of what makes BronxWorks important – passionate staff who seek opportunities to grow professionally and make a bigger impact through human services. In her nine years at BronxWorks, Mireya has worked as a Case Manager in eviction prevention and supportive housing programs, completed her Master’s Degree in Social Work and licensure (LMSW), served as Clinical Coordinator in the Westchester Avenue Safe Haven, and is now the Director of Social Services with the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team.
“What we do here is a very challenging task, because the homeless population is oftentimes an ignored population. People tend not to see them, or they try not to, and homeless individuals carry that with them. But we don’t ignore them, we actually go and look for them. That’s what is meaningful to me.”
Mireya grew up in New York City and has lived in the Bronx since she was 15 years old. Her family immigrated from Mexico some 50 years ago. She is the first person in her family to have graduated from college and to have attained a Master’s Degree. Mireya completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at Baruch College and her Master’s Degree in Social Work at Hunter College.
In 2015, Mireya started at BronxWorks as a Homebase Case manager. After two years, she moved to the Supportive Housing Department as the first Case Manager for the newly-opened HUD Scattered-Site Supportive Housing Program. “I was excited to join supportive housing,” Mireya says, “because we work with clients for a longer period of time, we’re able to build a relationship with our clients and help them achieve long-term goals.” In 2019, Mireya decided to pursue her MSW. After completing the BronxWorks One Year Residency (OYR) program at the Cooper Gardens Supportive Housing Program, Mireya joined the Westchester Avenue Safe Haven as a Clinical Coordinator in 2021.
“I don’t think I would have been able to juggle having a family, working full-time, and going to school for my MSW without the OYR program. Through OYR, I was able to complete my internship at my workplace, at BronxWorks, which made it doable. I also received a lot of support from BronxWorks staff – Shauna Barry and Amy Greenbaum-Strauss. That made it a crucial experience for me.”
Since August 2023, Mireya has been the Director of Social Services with the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team. She oversees and supports the team’s Case Managers and social services staff, including a hospital Coordinator and Housing Specialist.
Outside of work, Mireya loves to travel with her sister, and recently visited the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Jamaica. She goes to the gym to stay healthy, and loves spending her rare moments of down time with her children, playing music, and catching up on sleep.
