Mayra Soto is the vice president of GoSo Consulting. Her belief is to provide culturally responsive services to a diverse population with a specialization that is multicultural at every level whether it is individual, family, community or corporate. She attained her MSW from UIC with a concentration in management and policy. Her background is in child welfare and infant mental health. She is multicultural and bilingual in Spanish. Ms. Soto has extensive child welfare training and began her work in residential treatment. She has a child welfare licensure and is CERAP certified. Her clinical skills are advanced within multi-problem adolescent and adult populations. In addition, she attained a multi-disciplinary certificate in child and adolescent mental health. Throughout her career, her focus continues to be serving the Latino/LatinX population. Ms. Soto has also been an active member of the Latino Social Workers Organization for over 25 years.
An experienced Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in child welfare, infant mental health, women’s health issues, grief, and trauma. She worked with many individuals, couples and families addressing the following issues: grief, high-risk pregnancies, disabilities, intergenerational conflict, blended families, mood disorders, acculturation, culture, medical issues, immigration issues, trauma, life transitions, domestic violence/intimate partner abuse, and relationship problems.
She worked for North Shore University Health System as the Coordinator of the Connections Program for Pregnant and Parenting Teens for over twelve years. The Connections Program is under the umbrella of Perinatal Family Support Center. She was responsible for all pregnant and parenting services within Evanston and Highland Park Hospital. Ms. Soto co-founded the Leadership Consortium for Pregnant and Parenting Teens. She later on provided clinical consultation to the Postpartum Depression Program at North Shore University Health System for an additional four years. She was also an adjunct professor at St. Augustine College – School of Social Work for seven years. She is a member of the Latino Social Worker Organization. In addition, she published in the Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal.
Ms. Soto has over 25 years of experience in social work with a variety of age groups from infants to adults. She worked in different capacities from direct service (hospitals and group homes) to administrative (non-for profit) positions. Previously, Ms. Soto was the Director of Social Services at Latino Youth, Inc. She managed their counseling unit, crisis intervention program, group home for DCFS wards, emergency shelter, parenting programs, and was the Facilitator for LAN 75.
In addition, she has provided clinical consultation with the Resurrection Project’s Transitional Housing Program that primarily served Latina domestic violence victims and their families. Ms. Soto has provided consultation and numerous presentations to agencies and communities on the following topics: culturally competency & culturally sensitive practice, assessments on the Latino population, mentoring culturally diverse youth, adolescent pregnancy and loss, depression among Latinas and child welfare presentations on the local area networks (LAN process). She has also supervised numerous BSW and MSW students throughout the years.
