George Caballero, MSW ’82, never expected to be in a position to help in the way he has over the course of his professional career.

“For someone who didn’t have any aspirations of even going to college, getting my master’s degree in social work was a major accomplishment,” Caballero said. “Everything that’s come after that has been a gift.”

Caballero’s career spans more than 30 years serving the Los Angeles community through direct practice, research, clinical supervision, consultation and executive-level leadership.

He has also given many years to the USC community, including his work with the USC School of Social Work’s Mano Amiga organization, Latino alumni community advisory committee and the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging’s community advisory board.

For his efforts, the USC Alumni Association honored Caballero in September with the Widney Alumni House Volunteer Award, which recognizes volunteers for their loyalty, support and dedication to USC. It joins his W. June Simmons Alumni Award from the school, which he received for bringing recognition to the school and the social work profession.

“He’s an example of what our best alumni contribute to the world,” said Marilyn Flynn, dean of the USC School of Social Work. “We have about 13,000 alumni from our school, and if they were all like George, the world would be a better place.”

Dedication to Older Adults

“It was hard work, but it became a passion,” Caballero said.

Early in his career, Caballero’s sheer determination, creativity and transformative leadership expanded the El Centro Mental Health Center’s Older Adult Day Treatment program, effectively helping older adults transition from outpatient care to independence and re-integration into the community.

“I found that people would do well in the treatment program until they were discharged, and they would end up coming back,” Caballero said. “I worked on developing resources so that we would not only provide mental health treatment services, but also provide pathways to engage patients in activities that would keep them active in the community, which worked out very well.”

“While many of us talk about the coming demographic changes and how important understanding aging issues will be for society, there aren’t enough people like George who devote themselves with passion to improving the lives of older adults,” Flynn said.

For over 15 years, he has been affiliated with the Los Angeles chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. His expertise on aging has also been sought out by organizations such as the International Institute of Los Angeles, AltaMed Health Services Corporation and the City of Inglewood’s senior services department.

Always inspired by fresh challenges, Caballero founded Casa Cardenas Senior & Family Counseling Center in 1999 as a private entity with no financial support from the government.

“Most people thought I was crazy, but we pulled it off,” Caballero said. “We never depended on government funding. It was largely based on donations.”

It flourished under his leadership as president of the board of directors and only recently closed its doors when Caballero retired.

His most recent leadership role was that of commissioner for the Los Angeles County Mental Health Commission in 2007, representing Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina’s first district.

His track record of success and the respect he earned from peers helped him open doors for students who aspired to follow a similar career path.

Mentor to Students

Caballero reflects fondly on his time as a graduate student at USC. His field placement experiences with large organizations like Pacific Clinics gave him opportunities to learn the skills he needed to establish his career.

“Field instruction is very important to me,” Caballero said. “Often we think we know what students are going through, but there’s a difference between thinking you know and knowing.”

Throughout his career, Caballero has maintained a close connection to his alma mater. He has been a field instructor at the School of Social Work for many years—creating several new field placements and offering his advice and guidance for students.

“The internship is where students should feel free to mistakes because they’re supervised and have experts supporting them,” Caballero said. “However, education doesn’t stop after earning your master’s degree. I tell students that it’s an ongoing process throughout your career; I emphasize the need to continue learning both through formal education and on the job.”

Caballero has also played an instrumental role in fostering a supportive environment for Latino social work students at USC.

“George helped me understand where I lived, as well as where the university was situated, and what our obligation was to the Latino community,” Flynn said.

Caballero helped to establish the Latino alumni community advisory committee at the School of Social Work and has been an advocate for more active recruitment of Latino faculty.

“He’s brought our school closer to the goals we have in terms of providing strong support for our Latino students and all our students,” Flynn said.