On the Case: Bilingual Pueblo county caseworker is passionate about helping families

Lisett Padilla has held many positions in her nearly eight years at the Pueblo Department of Human Services. Currently the department’s Senior Family Resource Caseworker, Lisett has a tireless dedication to supporting not only the families she serves but also her co-workers and her community. 

In her current role, Lisett certifies and works as a support for kin and foster families connecting them with community resources and doing diligent searches to connect kids with family and safe important people in their lives. Lisett works to make sure the families she works with have everything they need to support the kids in their care. She has always enjoyed working with children, but says she also enjoys working with families and older youth. 

“The families I work with teach me a lot. I am able to use things they do in their home in my own home. Sometimes, I can also connect families with others who have struggles that are similar.” said Lisett “I love working with families who take adolescents, we need more of them. I have a heart for older kids who are just trying to find their place. They just want a family.”

Lisett is also bilingual and she works with Pueblo county’s primarily Spanish speaking foster families, and is passionate about them with finding Spanish language resources in their small community such as medical and mental health resources. 

“My parents primarily speak Spanish and they recently moved here (to Pueblo) from California and there aren’t as many Spanish speakers here. My sister and I also help them navigate local resources for the Spanish speaking community,” said Lisett.

Known by her colleagues as a team player they can always turn to when they need support, Lisett is a connector who is always looking to introduce people to others who can support one another. Lisset says she is willing to do whatever she can to support her team, especially when they are searching for a placement, because she knows what it is like to have a child or youth in care who urgently needs a place to go.

“I love my coworkers and I spend a lot of time with them at work and outside of work. I have been in many of their shoes in other roles. We all have our hard days. When they need it I will do a dance for them to cheer them up or get them a snack and try to put a smile on their face,” said Lisett. “I want to learn people’s names and let them know we are a resource to answer questions, so they feel like they are part of the team”

Lisett says she is thankful that her husband and eight-year-old daughter are supportive of the challenging work she does and the time commitment it entails. Although her daughter is still young, Lisett takes her to recruitment events in the community and she understands what her mom’s career is, but she currently wants to be a firefighter like her dad and her aunt. 

“My daughter inspires me. She is always watching, so I want to set a good example. I want all children to have a safe place. I want to make the community a safer place for my daughter and other kids. Want other kids to have the same feeling of safety and opportunities as she has,” says Lisett.