Our Star Staff:
Sylvia Dominguez-Santillan, LMSW
Many times when someone contacts Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas seeking help with a civil legal problem, the situation calls for more than legal advice or representation. The client may be experiencing food insecurity or suffering from an anxiety disorder, issues that are important to help client address, but not generally solved through legal means. In those instances, the Legal Aid attorney can call on one of our team of social workers, an in-house resource that’s been a welcome addition to Legal Aid’s client services.
“We strive to provide the best service to clients with dignity and respect, starting where the client is at,” says Sylvia Dominguez-Santillan, Legal Aid’s social worker supervisor. “We help clients navigate the resources in their communities and show them how to access the resources they need.”
With more than 30 years of social work experience gained from time spent with profit and nonprofit organizations, Sylvia joined Legal Aid in 2020, inspired by her daughter, who is an attorney with Legal Aid. With a strong background and a passion to help others, Sylvia is well positioned to lead Legal Aid’s team of committed social workers. She and a team of four social workers triage every referral made to them from attorneys throughout our 114-county service area, connecting clients to the resources to meet their needs. Before social workers were added to the staff, our attorneys were the primary resource to help their clients find resources appropriate to their situation.
“Our work is always about the client. They tell us what they need,” she says.
As a veteran of more than 30 years of social work, Sylvia may work with as many as 14 clients in a day in communities throughout our large service area, which is roughly the size of Colorado. While it may take only an hour to an hour and a half to find needed resources in larger cities, locating assistance for clients who live in rural areas may take twice as long as there are fewer community resources available.
Whether the client lives in a city or smaller town, Sylvia and her team work with clients throughout the duration of our legal representation on the client’s behalf.
When asked what she would like to share with potential supporters of Legal Aid, she says, “Like most legal aid organizations, we lack the resources to help everyone who applies for our services. We always do our best to help those who reach out to us, providing them with emotional support as well as the tools they need to empower themselves to navigate the challenges they face during a very difficult time in their lives.”