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Meet The Team
Melissa Valadez is a devoted wife and mother. Her wife and daughter bring meaning and drive to her life. This drive led Melissa to pursuing her master's degree in social work, which she received from Portland State University. Over the years, Melissa has worked in many social services roles. She has supported the disability community, has worked with individuals and families seeking a variety of social services and from a variety of backgrounds, supported individuals through treatment and served in many leadership roles. Most recently, Melissa has been spending her time developing the non-profit, Infinite Healing Solutions and is also the proud owner of Behavior & Mental Health Consultation of Oregon. She has written policies, obtained multiple certifications, networked extensively, conducted a community needs assessment, jumped through the bureaucracies and more, to provide central Oregon with an inclusive, respectful and open-minded mental health support and social services option. Melissa is Hispanic, bilingual and a part of the LQBTQ+ community. She understands firsthand the struggles of being a minority. She is the first in her family to attend college, let alone to obtain a master's degree. She knows what it takes to rise out of poverty and accomplish one's dreams. Her care to share that with the world, sets her apart as a strong yet humble leader. Melissa enjoys everything about her Mexican culture, where she was raised and graduated highschool at the Colegio De Bachilleres.The food, the music, the dancing and the fiestas all keep Melissa visiting her family in Mexico who support and adore her. Though she is kept very busy with her social services and social justice goals, Melissa makes time to enjoy life with her family. Cooking with her daughter, hiking with her dogs and taking her wife out to the movies are just a few ways she stays grounded and relaxes.
Sydney Cook a senior student enrolled in the Bachelors of Social Work program at Portland State University. Originally from Bend, Oregon, she recently completed her Associate's of Science Transfer degree at Central Oregon Community College, with a strong emphasis on Addiction Studies and Human Services. Her personal encounters with issues related to substance abuse, mental health disorders, and the unfair treatment of marginalized individuals have ignited her passion for the field of Social Work. She is driven to become a catalyst for positive change and advocate for those in need in our community. Sydney plans to pursue this goal by obtaining a Master's degree in Social Work in the following year so that she can practice as an LCSW after schooling. Currently, she is gaining valuable practical experience through her internship at IHS, where she is learning firsthand about the complexities of social work and honing her skills in providing effective assistance to those in need. Outside of her academic pursuits, internship commitments, and her food serving role at Feast Food Company, you'll typically discover her immersing herself in the outdoors, enjoying quality time in nature. Sydney is an avid rock climber, mountaineer, and snowboarder and feels most fulfilled when surrounded by the beautiful landscapes and climate that Central Oregon has to offer. Her aspiration is to eventually merge these passions with her career, aiming to become an outdoor behavioral health practitioner.
Melissa Cabaccang is coming to Infinite Healing Solutions to work towards the continued effort for a strong community and connection to create new ways to make sure that folks are getting all opportunities to grow, including within herself. Having moved to Redmond in 2016, Melissa has had the opportunity to connect in varies ways whether that be contractors talking about blueprint plans for building taking place in Central Oregon with a local paper print company, screen printing during a pandemic with folks who were trying to keep their small businesses afloat or gaining access to knowledge at other non-profits to help people who find a direction that works best for them. Since landing, Melissa has gained a new dog to add to her animals consisting of another dog and two cats in a life shared with her wife of 6 years. She tries her best to integrate more into the multitude of spaces that she can find in Central Oregon that make her feel good internally and outwardly as a LGBTQIA+ person of color. Melissa is also involved in more of a creative aspect being a digital designer which has helped with connecting with different organizations that are also working towards a similar goal of supporting our community, however that looks.
Aubrey Valadez is a proud mother and wife. Mother to one sweet daughter and to 3 naughty fur babies. Her wife of 17 years supports and encourages her to pursue her dreams and achieve great things. Aubrey obtained her bachelor's degree from Southern Oregon University in Early Childhood Development and has worked the last 15 years in the field of education, specializing in administration and finance. Aubrey has a passion for nature and loves spending her free time hiking and exploring the great outdoors. She is also passionate about human rights and is committed to doing her part to encourage peace, acceptance and freedom of expression, in all environments. Through speaking out for others, leading DEI teams and calling out prejudice and discriminations in the workplace, she continues to prove herself as devoted to inclusion and human happiness. She is also a strong advocate for therapy and mental health support. She speaks openly about her personal journey and encourages others to grow through self exploration. Her goals include; becoming fluent in Spanish, writing a novel and leaning into life.
Natalie Schwartzbauer is a generalist year graduate student enrolled in the Masters of Social Work program at Portland State University. Originally from Roseburg, Oregon, she completed her Bachelors degree at Oregon State University with a strong emphasis on Public Health and Human Services. Her previous roles and experiences within the social work field include working as a treatment aide at a residential treatment facility for youth with substance abuse disorders, assistant manager at a women’s homeless shelter, psychiatric assistant at a mental health collaborative care clinic, and case manager at a residential treatment center for sexually and criminally offending youth. You may currently find her working as the Administrator and Case Services Coordinator at the Lighthouse Navigation Center in Bend, Oregon.
As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Natalie strives towards the creation of a more inclusive and welcoming social climate for marginalized communities within Central Oregon. She aims to develop advanced clinical skills within a variety of treatment modalities in order to provide the best possible therapeutic treatment to LGBTQ+ identifying youth, young adults, and families negatively affected by trauma. Natalie intends to continue advocating for the LGBTQ+ community after graduation and plans on gaining her LCSW certification and opening her own private practice within five years. Natalie hopes to develop a clinical practice that supports both mental and spiritual health through the use of ecotherapy and animal-assisted therapeutic practices.
Outside of academic and professional pursuits, you’ll likely discover Natalie at Riverbend Beach or Alpenglow Dog Park with her black lab puppy, Molly, who is training to become an AKC Certified Therapy Dog.
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