Pia Escudero, L.C.S.W.

Pia Valenzuela Escudero is Director for School Mental Health Services at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Ms. Escudero's current duties include supervising school mental health professionals, implementing the LAUSD and LA County Department of Mental Health contract, and supporting high quality interventions, evidence based practices and programs, promoting educational outcomes and student achievement.  She provides local and national leadership to assist in the development, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of trauma-informed services for the benefit of children and families in LAUSD. Ms. Escudero has represented LAUSD State-wide and within Los Angeles County, participating in the transformation of mental health services to children and families under the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). Ms. Escudero has participated in the MHSA Co- Occurring Disorder Workgroup, Improving the Stakeholder Process Workgroup and local planning efforts to implement MHSA Prevention and Early Intervention Services.

Ms. Escudero was formally a Field Coordinator for LAUSD Crisis Counseling and Intervention Services focusing on crisis response and recovery services under the Directorship of Dr. Marleen Wong. Implementing and coordinated an array of District programs such as District Crisis Teams and Threat Assessment and Management Teams addressing critical and traumatic events promoting, restoring and maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for the students and staff.  Previously, she served as a Field Coordinator for School Mental Health Services supervising and administrating school mental health professionals and support staff in an array of school mental health programs.  Ms. Escudero was one of the original contributors to the development of the Emergency Immigrant Education Program (EIEP), which was an early version of Cognitive Behavior Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) targeting immigrant students. More recently, Ms. Escudero is the primary liaison for LAUSD trauma services and is the project director of a newly funded Robert Wood Johnson Foundation pilot program to improve mental health services and provide CBITS intervention for poor immigrant families in LAUSD. CBITS is nationally and internationally recognized as the only intervention for students exposed to community violence that increases student attendance, reduces symptoms of psychological trauma and improves academic outcomes.