Supported by over 35 years of professional experience, Elsie Cantres-Alvarado is a figurehead in the fields of social services and education. Since 2015, she has excelled as an online independent consultant, counselor and life coach in New York City. In her many roles, Ms. Cantres-Alvarado dedicates her time to interacting with various cultures and age groups in order to conduct virtual consultations for educational institutions and individuals, as well as attend workshops to enhance her continuing education.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Cantres-Alvarado served as an education administrator for the New York City Department of Education from 1999 to 2008 and was a social worker for the New York Department of Family and Children Services between 1979 and 1999. She also worked as a community coordinator for the Department for Aging in New York from 1986 to 1989 and was an elected official on the Community Action Board with the New York City Mayor’s Task Force between 1986 and 2000.
To prepare for her career, Ms. Cantres-Alvarado pursued a formal education at Baruch College, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and art in 1978. She went on to attend Fordham University, from which she received a Master of Social Work in 1985 and a Master of Education in professional supervision and administration in 1994. Over the course of her extensive career, Ms. Cantres-Alvarado also earned a Child Protective Services certification, a New York State Supervisory and Administration certification, an Accredited Certificate of Social Work and a Professional Life Coach certification.
As such, to remain abreast of developments in her areas of interest, Ms. Cantres-Alvarado has maintained affiliation with the National Association of Social Workers. She is also a member of the Solution Focus Universe International Group. Among the many highlights of her career, she is especially proud of witnessing how different cultures and age groups interact with one another, which helped her build her perspective on how to successfully help her clients. She attributes much of her success to her interactions with other specialists in the field of social work, having received tremendous training from several prominent individuals.
Looking toward the future, Ms. Cantres-Alvarado intends to continue traveling with her husband in her retirement. Notably, she is bilingual and can speak English and Spanish fluently.
