Susan is one of the founders of the Wellness & Prevention Center. A graduate of Cornell University and San Diego State University, Susan has been working in non-profits and mental health care for over 16 years. Susan is dedicated to access for all to quality prevention and mental health services. Susan has witnessed an increase in teens diagnosed with anxiety and depression and is striving to help communities in South Orange County target the causes of this increase while helping teens who are struggling. Check her out on Shoutout SoCal!

Lauren holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California and Bachelors Degree in Psychology from California State University Fullerton. She has worked in prevention since 2014 and joined the WPC in 2017 to develop the prevention programming.

Sophii first joined the Wellness & Prevention Center in the fall of 2017 as one of the first graduate student interns. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a Masters in Social Work in 2018. Born and raised in San Clemente, Sophii has enjoyed getting to make an impact in the community that she grew up in. 

Ladan holds a Graduate degree in Healthcare Management as well as a Master’s of Psychology from Columbia University. Ladan is passionate about leveraging her diverse business and mental health backgrounds in order to create equitable access to mental health resources for at-risk populations. Ladan joined WPC’s allcove team, partnering with Stanford University and UC Irvine to launch a youth-driven center for teens and young adults in South Orange County.

Leslie acquired her bachelor’s degree in Human Services and a minor in Spanish from California State University Fullerton. She was born and raised in San Clemente andstarted working for the Wellness and Prevention Center in 2018 with the coalition as a volunteer and Bilingual Spanish Liaison. Leslie has extensive experience creating community connection and is leading the Spanish speakers parent coalition. This active group is tackling the challenges that young people have in south Orange County. 

Priscilla was raised in San Clemente and works passionately to support both youth and adults in the Spanish-speaking community. As part of her role, she helps connect individuals through a coalition focused on reducing youth substance use. In addition to her project coordination duties, Priscilla also plays a key role in social media outreach and marketing efforts, using digital platforms to raise awareness, share resources, and engage the community in substance use prevention initiatives.

Deisy is a dedicated therapist with over a decade of experience working with underserved communities. Beginning her career as a grassroots organizer, she advocated for social justice issues such as LGBTQIA+ rights, immigrant rights, and prison reform at both the state and federal levels. Before pursuing her MA in Counseling, Deisy played a key role in pushing for legislative changes aimed at improving the lives of marginalized groups. With extensive clinical experience working with children, teens, adults, and couples across various levels of acuity, Deisy is deeply committed to applying her therapeutic skills and knowledge to continue supporting under-resourced communities.

 Monika received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Merced, and returned to her hometown in South OC to garner experience in mental health. She first joined WPC as a member of their allcove youth advisory group as a way to advocate for accessible mental health services for her community. Now, she leads our Mental Health Awareness Training Grant to increase mental health literacy in the community with Mental Health First Aid. Monika will be attending Cal State San Marcos in the fall to earn her Master’s in Social Work.

 Julie has always had a passion for working with and helping youth in the community so after over a decade working in the business sector, she decided to return to school and pursue a Masters in Social Work at Widener University. Julie first joined the Wellness and Prevention Center in 2022 as a graduate student intern. She became part of the Wellness & Prevention staff in 2023 as a clinician providing mental health services to children, teens, and young adults.