LA County Department of Mental Health

The Los Angeles Department of Mental Health was selected as our required local public mental health partner. The Los Angeles Department of Mental Health is the entity that is legally constituted to provide administrative control and oversight of mental health service delivery within the ERUSD community. DMH is strongly committed to expanding its excellent school mental health program and early childhood mental health program. The Los Angeles Department of Mental Health support for the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Grant Initiative includes: 1) providing counsel and active participation in the grant initiative, 2) providing consultation on mental health services in ERUSD schools including assistance with any necessary policies, procedures, and management structures that will support the efficient delivery of mental health services, and 3) working closely with ERUSD to contract additional school-based mental health services, either directly through the Department of Health or through a qualified mental health service provider.

The El Rancho Unified School District is pleased and proud to have an outstanding mental health professional from the Los County Department of Mental Health serving on the Core Management team under the new Safe Schools/Healthy Children grant. We welcome Susan Donner, who brings a wealth of expertise in her role as liaison between the District and DMH.

Susan’s outstanding credentials date back to 1979 when she graduated with a Masters in Social Work from the University of Hawaii. Her undergraduate degree came from UCLA. Susan obtained her California Social Work license (LCSW) in 1989. Her work experience is lengthy and impressive. She currently works at L.A. County’s DMH as a training coordinator and, among myriad other responsibilities, attends five different school district meetings, including our own SS/HS meetings, as a member of the Core Management team. Susan’s training as a supervising psychiatric social worker will greatly enhance the District’s ongoing commitment to serve those students who fall under our specialized children’s mental health programs.

Susan finds reading, movies, and theater a great escape and enjoyment apart from the intensity of her chosen career. She and her husband of nearly 25 years have a 23-year-old daughter recently graduated from university. With a silver anniversary coming up next year, Susan and her husband will be sailing the blue waters of the Mediterranean to celebrate! Susan’s other “child” is a rambunctious miniature Australian shepherd who likes chewing up TV remotes for the fun of it! Perhaps Susan would like to explore some canine mental health issues?!

The District is fortunate to have high caliber professionals working in tandem with our administrators, teachers, and students to achieve the goals of our mission to provide all our students the best opportunities for success. Susan is a lifelong professional who takes that mission to heart.