Meet Siomara: A Compassionate Clinician and Advocate for Change
Sep 30, 2025
Name Siomara Arias, LMSW Title Clinician Program Enhanced Family Foster Care Region New York City Time with Cayuga Centers Since 2017
In the heart of New York City, where families face complex challenges and children need strong advocates, you will find Siomara Arias, MSW—an experienced and compassionate clinician with Cayuga Centers. For years, Siomara has dedicated her career to fostering hope, healing, and stability for the children and families in her care.
What is Enhanced Family Foster Care?
Enhanced Family Foster Care (EFFC) offers comprehensive services and support for New York City teenagers in foster care, foster parents, and birth families. While a young person resides in a foster home, they receive wrap-around services to ensure they have the resources needed to thrive. EFFC also provides the necessary support to help families navigate the journey toward permanency, ensuring everyone has the tools for success.
Support comes in many forms from the EFFC Treatment Team. They provide mentorship, case planning, therapy, behavioral support, career planning, housing assistance, and more. The goal is to make sure young people in foster care can transfer out of the system and are set up for future success.
As a clinician, Siomara is part of a team committed to the safety, permanency, and well-being of every teenager they serve.
“Each team member has their own function, but we collaborate toward one common goal,” she explains.
That shared mission allows each professional to bring their strengths to the table, ensuring families receive comprehensive and coordinated support.
Why Siomara chose a career in clinical social work
Siomara’s journey into social work was guided by a strong desire to help others and spark meaningful change.
“I wanted to be a part of a profession that helps people and promotes positive change,” she shares.
That passion continues to fuel her work today, as she supports vulnerable children and families navigating challenges in the home and complex systems.
No two days are exactly the same in Siomara’s role. Her schedule includes everything from team meetings and therapeutic sessions with teens, to collaborating with foster parents, documenting progress, and planning treatment strategies. Every step is rooted in a deep commitment to helping families heal and thrive.
That culture of care is something she feels every day—from the support of her colleagues to the values that guide their work.
“As a clinician, it’s important to recognize that every person we serve has their own experience, story, and journey,” she explains. “By keeping that in mind, we become more competent in our engagement, our approach, and our outcomes.”
Siomara’s commitment to families
For Siomara, honoring each client’s uniqueness isn’t just part of the job—it’s the heart of it.
“We’re not just doing our jobs—we’re showing the families we serve that we care, and that we see them as individuals with strength, potential, and dignity.”
Thank you, Siomara, for your unwavering dedication and for the heart you bring to your work each and every day. Your commitment inspires us all.
Join our team and embark on a rewarding career! Explore all opportunities in New York, Delaware, NYC, Pennsylvania, Florida, Maryland, California, and Texas!
At Cayuga Centers, our mission is based on care. We care for the individuals and families we serve. We also care for our employees who make this work possible. We asked our employees what benefits they love, and here’s what they had to say...
Employee Spotlight 🧡 🌟 As Program Manager for HealthySteps, Maya Odle leads with care, ensuring families receive the wraparound support they need to thrive.
Since joining Cayuga Centers in 2023, Maya has strengthened community partnerships to ensure quality care for families in Miami-Dade. Her leadership reflects our mission of supporting families and empowering them with the tools for lifelong success.
Thank you, Maya, for your dedication and heart in everything you do!
✨ Employee Spotlight ✨ Meet Sadiel Perez, Learning Center Assistant Principal in the UC-TFC program in NYC! 📚
For the past 7 years, Sadiel has brought compassion, leadership, and a deep understanding of youth development to Cayuga Centers. With a Master’s in Youth Studies, he’s committed to helping young people from all around the world have the skills to succeed.
Sadiel shows up every day to remind minors in our TFC Program that their background doesn’t define their future.
Thank you, Sadiel, for your unwavering dedication to youth and education. 🧡
Meet Nestor Beard Medina, Director of Policy and Procedure Development in our NYC Continuous Quality Improvement Department (CQI)!
With a Master of Public Administration and a passion for clarity and impact, Nestor has spent the past year strengthening our policies so teams across Cayuga Centers can better serve youth and families.
His work behind the scenes drives quality and consistency. We`re proud to have his leadership shaping our agency’s future! 🧡
Meet Heidi Cabral, Director of UC Foster Home Recruiters and Licensors in our Harlem office!
Heidi plays a critical role in helping youth find safe, loving homes in our UC programs by certifying foster parents and supporting them through every step of their journey.
As we recognize Kinship Care Month, we also celebrate Heidi and her team for supporting not only foster parents, but also relatives and close family friends who step in to care for youth in foster care when their biological parents are unable to.
Thank you, Heidi, for all you do to uplift youth and families across our communities! 🧡
Meet Luis Madera, a mission-driven leader who has been an integral part of Cayuga Centers for the past seven years. In his role as Assistant Director of Curriculum & Instructional Technology, Luis brings together heart and strategy to strengthen how we train and support our staff and foster parents.
“Supporting children, families, and staff resonates with me not just as a job—but as a ministry. It’s a calling to lead with compassion, respect, and heart.” ~ Luis Madera
We’re proud to have Luis on our team, helping to build a stronger, more informed Cayuga Centers every day. 🧡
Meet James Murtari, a Marine Corps veteran and Restorative Case Manager in our Diversion Programs in Auburn, NY 🧡
James brings heart, purpose, and real-world experience to his work with youth. He helps young people understand that their past doesn’t define them—and gives them the tools to build a brighter future.
Whether supporting a young person in crisis or celebrating their everyday breakthroughs, James is there every step of the way.
Thank you, James, for being a true agent for change.
Meet Sue Raiti, the heart of our admin team in Auburn at Cayuga Centers 🧡
Sue is the kind of colleague who makes everyone feel welcome and the workplace brighter just by being in it. She`s our go-to for everything — with a smile, a solution, and a whole lot of love.
This month marks her 8th work anniversary — congrats, Sue!
We’re so grateful for you and your unwavering commitment to our mission of supporting children and families.
Meet Ana Alcantara, our incredible Program Impact Director in the CQI Department at Cayuga Centers!
Ana plays a pivotal role in helping our programs deliver high-quality, effective, and individualized services to the communities we serve. With a focus on collaboration, she is a driving force behind ensuring organizational excellence and identifying opportunities for sustainable impact.
Thank you for everything you contribute to our mission of supporting children and families every day. 💼✨🧡
Listen as Shayne Jervey talks about the teens in foster care and why you should consider opening up your home for a youth in need. Checkout the resources in our #linkinbio to learn more. #fostercare #fosterlove #fostercayugacenters #cayugacorner
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