My name is Kathryn Ruiz and I am the social worker at the Downtown Youth Clinic.
I grew up in Hollywood, California. and went to a community college for many years in Los Angeles and then to UCLA for two years.
After living outside of the country for a little while, I moved to the Bay Area and went to S.F. State University for my Social Work Degree.
I have worked as a social worker in HIV Clinics in San Francisco and Berkeley for 14 years and I love the work that I do!
There are many things that I help my clients with!
I can help with referrals for housing, benefits, food and transportation.
I work with our clients to assist with their educational and career goals, too.
I work closely with all of our women clients who are pregnant to help them get their needs met during and after pregnancy.
I also talk with our clients and decide with them if they want a referral to counseling, to see a lawyer, or to substance use programs.
There are support groups and activities that young people living with HIV may be interested in attending, too, and we can talk about those, too.
I can help with disclosure to family, friends and partners.
Basically, most anything that a client wants help with, I will try to help!
Our goal as a team is to assist our clients to have healthy, happy and fulfilling lives - and have lots of fun along the way!
By the way, I am bilingual in Spanish and English.