Meet Dr. La Cena Jones | Chief Executive Officer and Licensed Marriage Family Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. La Cena Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. La Cena, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
I have learned so many important lessons in my business: to start I have learned that you need to have a vision; I have learned you need to have standards; I have learned that your trauma will affect your hiring, retention, and employer-employee relationship; I have learned that people are only friends until it comes down to holding them accountable; I have learned that friends will become enemies the moment you draw a boundary in business. I have learned that you should know how to do every task you outsource so you can provide the minimal amount of oversight necessary to prevent being taken advantage of. I have learned that in the black community, we have a lot of work to do to support one another and we need to do a better job servicing one another. By far though, the most important lesson is that I will be the only person held accountable for the decisions made for my business so I need to remember that 9/10 times, nothing is personal it is just business.

What should our readers know about your business?
Triple J Family Services is a multifaceted behavioral health company with locations in California, Texas, and Nevada. Our mission is to be the ultimate destination in all things behavioral health. We operate multiple departments and projects and create multiple opportunities to positively impact the communities we serve from providing direct therapy and mental health services to offering consultation services, research and training opportunities. I am most proud of the awards we have won and been nominated for, in addition to our use of AI into treatment and training. However, this journey has not been easy. We had to waiver multiple storms but we made it. What sets us aside from other companies and organizations is the fact that we serve dozens of demographics, support the communities we serve by giving back, and we are also small but mighty and are a real competitor to larger scale organizations. We are ethical and prioritize client needs. I have learned many lessons as the leader with the most significant being that the business will reflect the leader’s weaknesses so make sure you know what your weaknesses are. I want the world to know that we are here to help.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Unfortunately, I don’t make time like I need to. But some of my favorite places to visit with my daughter are definitely Santa Monica, Glendale and Pasadena. We enjoy shopping in and around LA. We love the restaurant Curacao in Culver City and Javiers in Century City. We love the beach and spend a lot of time in Gardena with our grandmother.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been surrounded by the most amazing handful of individuals who go to bat for me and support me and have since day one; my whole squad is amazing. Officer Daryl Savage, Dr. Micharra Joshua, Dr. Monique Roach, and John Gamble have supported me greatly. My older siblings Nicole and Chuck and my super smart father are supportive; they all own businesses too, we are a family of entrepreneurs. My clients and community partners are so amazing. I have been so blessed to have people in my corner. Most supportive has been my grandparents; my grandfather passed in 2022 but he was one of my greatest supports. My grandmother is so amazing and supportive. I am really blessed all the way around. But my number 1, my numero uno is my daughter Olivia. She has helped set up every office, has helped hang portraits, works for the company, and is just beyond an amazing daughter. She was the one who suggested to me that I could build the next Kaiser when she was just 9 years old. She has sacrificed just as much if not more. She deserves the most recognition.

Website: https://jacobjosephjabez.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lacenajlmftdsw/