JFCS Counselor, Program Manager Carole Cera Named Social Worker of the Year

Carole Cera, a counselor and program manager with Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis (JFCS), is celebrating 30 years with the agency this year and now she has another accomplishment to celebrate – she has been honored as the Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-MN).

Celebrating 30 years at JFCS in September, it is timely that Carole is being honored for her contributions to both clients and colleagues. Carole has held many positions at JFCS, including counselor; school-based therapist; and program manager of the Counseling department, Jewish Big Brother/Big Sister Program, and Intake and Resource Connection programs. She is also one of the founders of the Licensure Supervision program and continues to provide this service.

The NASW-MN described Carole as a competent and caring social worker, who has provided countless hours of individual and group supervision to bachelor and graduate social workers. Always willing to share her time and expertise, Carole is thoughtful, resourceful, patient, and a strong advocate for the safety and well-being of JFCS clients. Carole has served as a member of the NASW-MN committee on nominations, and has served her community as past president of the West Suburban Teen Clinic, and as a board member of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) and her synagogue.

“It has been my pleasure to be able to work with Carole for so many years,” said Jill Kozberg, JFCS Counseling Program Manager. “We have had the opportunity to work together both as peers and as supervisor-supervisee. I, like so many, have benefited from her warmth, steadiness and wealth of knowledge. Her compassion for her clients is unending. She continually pushes herself to learn new things and grow as a clinician. She has supervised the licensure of so many clinicians at all levels and in so many roles that she has had a lasting impact on the field. The NASW-MN Social Worker of the Year award is well-deserved.”