Every day, LaTasha Roberson-Guifarro asks these questions: “How are we doing?”; “How do we know?”; “How can we prove and/or improve our efforts to strategically achieve desired social impact results?”
As vice president and chief strategy and innovations officer and privacy officer at Lutheran Child and Family Services (LCFS) of Illinois, it is Roberson-Guifarro’s job to listen to stakeholders, assess operations and identify opportunities for growth. “Additionally, I ensure operational excellence by leading policy and process development, performance continuous quality improvement, risk and change management, regulatory compliance, advocacy, and legislative reform. I also spearhead the execution on our WIDE (welcoming, inclusion, diversity, equity) commitments,” she explains.
Roberson-Guifarro has been at LCFS for 16 years, working first as a child welfare specialist and over time, transitioning to—as well as helping to create—different roles within the organization. “Reflecting on this makes me smile,” she says, “knowing that I have been encouraged and given the chance to actively participate in learning, creating, and implementing solutions for some of the biggest challenges in our sector.”
Her career in social work began well before she joined LCFS, however. Roberson-Guifarro says she knew from an early age that she would be a helping professional, and, as she explored what that meant, was drawn to social work. “We are the profession that embodies optimism, faith in the human capacity for formidable change, and belief in one’s innate strength to overcome, conquer and renew despite challenging circumstances,” she says.
Though she volunteered in numerous positions beforehand, Roberson-Guifarro’s first official social work role was an internship at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services—an experience she describes as life-changing. “Simultaneously, I was actively involved in my church, where my pastor and I envisioned strengthening our benevolence operations. Together, we founded a nonprofit organization called Helping Others Pursue Excellence,” she describes.
Roberson-Guifarro’s career since then has been far-reaching. “I’ve had an amazing career so far, spanning direct service and progressively higher leadership roles across various impactful domains of work,” she says. Presently, in addition to her work at LCFS, Roberson-Guifarro is a board member for NASW-Illinois and president-elect.
Outside of work, Roberson-Guifarro says she’s still defining what a balanced and centered life looks like for her. “I’m on a beautiful journey of learning to find and embrace balance through both big and small joyful moments.”