The School of Social Work at New Mexico Highlands University is fortunate to have two GSSW doctoral graduates on board; Alfredo Garcia (PhD ’89),LISW, has served as the school’s Dean since 1996, and Jose Sisneros (PhD ’00), LCSW, who joined the faculty ten years later, holds a tenured position as Associate Professor.
Before joining NMHU, Garcia held several positions with New Mexico state government including Directorships at Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse Services and the Protective Services Division. He also served as Administrator of New Mexico Behavioral Hospital (formerly Las Vegas Medical Center), and he chaired the state’s Social Work Licensing Board. Garcia’s national positions have included board memberships at the Council on Social Work Education and the National Association of Deans and Directors.
Formerly an Assistant Professor at GSSW, Sisneros founded our school’s Social Work with Latinos/as Certificate program to address the nation’s critical need for bilingual and culturally responsive social workers. The Certificate includes an intensive Spanish language immersion course, experiential learning in Mexico and a field internship offering students the opportunity to work with Latino/a clients and use Spanish at least 30% of the time. In 2002, the Certificate was named one of the country’s most innovative graduate social work programs by New Social Worker magazine.
GSSW Alumni Stories 