Adela Arce, Education Manager, grew up in Santa Clara County. Born to parents who emigrated from Mexico, Adela was raised in a wonderful multi-cultural community where she learned respect for the feelings, ideas, behaviors, and experiences of others who differ from oneself in any way. Embracing this diversity gave her the opportunity to broaden her social world and become a stronger contributor to her community. Adela has over 25 years of broad experience in Administration and Management Support. She is also a Certified English-Spanish interpreter and translator with over 25 years of experience.
Adela has been fortunate to give back to her community in varied ways, volunteering at family shelters, food pantries, church events, Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross, and as an ESL instructor for non-profit community outreach programs.
When Mental illness affected her loved one she knew it was crucial that she seek to educate herself to be able to navigate the challenges and find effective ways to be of support to her family member.
She attended her first Family to Family class in 2017, and soon after, signed up to volunteer as a resource assistant for the same course. Family-to-Family program gave her the tools she needed to move forward in her journey with mental illness. Adela has since became part of the NAMI Santa Clara team as the Education Manager, overseeing “Ending the Silence”, “In Our Own Voice”, “Family Support Groups”, “NAMI Basics” and “Family-to-Family” education classes.
Her personal connection to mental health has provided her with valuable insights into the challenges faced by individuals and their families dealing with mental health issues. Adela is committed to leveraging her perspective and experience to educate, advocate & promote mental health awareness for all individuals and families in need of mental health support.