We’re happy to welcome new team members to Social Model Recovery Systems! Each of them brings their own story, skills, and passion for helping others.
Primary Aide, Royal Palms
Jonathan Vargas graduated from Royal Palms in 2022. His time at Royal Palms made a profound impact on him, and after a life-threatening injury, he knew he wanted to be a part of the place that helped save his life. While his previous professional experience is in restaurant and retail management, over the past year, he has persevered and obtained his High School diploma, RADT, and is now currently enrolled as a substance use disorder counselor. His fascination with the resilience of the human spirit and a commitment to helping others based on personal experience made him want to become part of the Social Model Recovery Systems team. Jonathan’s goals are to assist others with beginning the process of rebuilding their lives with dignity, respect and hope. He wishes nothing more than to connect with others and help them find purpose through recovery and ultimately find peace. He’s enthusiastically looking forward his journey in a new career.
On his free time, Jonathan loves spending time with his family and partner and vibing out to music. He loves living a peaceful and meaningful life.
Kitchen Assistant, Omni Center
Before coming to SMRS, Tabitha Valdez gained valuable knowledge while attending Kitchen for Good in San Diego, where she learned not only technical cooking skills but also how food can play a role in giving back to the community. Tabitha also spent time at CCWF, where she learned resilience, discipline, and the importance of building a future for herself. Both experiences shaped her commitment to personal growth and gave her the foundation to pursue a meaningful career.
Tabitha was inspired to join SMRS because of her own journey in recovery and her strong desire to give back to others who may be facing similar struggles. Cooking became a powerful tool for her in her healing, and she hopes to use her skills to help uplift and encourage people as they work on their own recovery. Working in substance use treatment allows her to connect her passion for food with a deeper purpose—helping others rebuild their lives and showing them that positive change is possible.
Tabitha’s long-term career goal is to continue improving her culinary skills and to keep learning new techniques and recipes. Tabitha aspires to eventually become a head chef and open her own facility, where she can combine food, recovery, and community support. Tabitha would like to create a space where people not only enjoy delicious, nourishing meals but also feel inspired and supported on their own journeys of growth.
In her free time, Tabitha enjoys exploring new recipes and learning different cooking styles from around the world. Cooking allows her to be creative and constantly challenge herself.
Outside of the kitchen, she also has a passion for makeup, which gives her another way to express creativity and confidence. She is also motivated by entrepreneurial goals—she enjoys finding ways to make money and intends to build a better future for herself and those around her.
Housing Coordinator, Community-Based Housing
To Janice Gaona, giving back to the community of San Gabriel Valley where she grew up is one of her proudest achievements. Janice was first a Trainee at Homeboy Industries while receiving her education at the Health Staff Institute. She later interned and worked as a counselor at LA CADA for 2 years and as of this year, Janice achieved the milestone of becoming a Certified Substance Abuse counselor. Janice credits the Department of Rehabilitation and the Invest program with providing her the financial support to achieve her dream of helping others through challenging times.
Looking back, Janice believes her past challenges have given her personal strength, her deepened understanding, and her greater appreciation for life.
Janice says, “I strongly believe that my pain served as a purpose, and with my lived experience and knowledge, I can help many others rise up.”
Janice chose to work for Social Model Recovery Systems because of the quality of services she saw the agency provide, the core values that coincided with her own values, the room for professional growth, and how compassionate, empathetic, and genuine the SMRS staff were. In the future, Janice hopes to receive further education so that she can become more effective and impactful in serving adolescent youth in the community.
Janice’s hobbies include worshipping her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, cooking, watching cooking shows, and being a soccer mom.
