Psychiatric Social Worker

Ms. Elena Jimenez

I was born and raised in the small community of Castroville, California. I lived in this central California town for 18 years. I graduated high school and moved to Sacramento to attend college. I wanted to get a quality education to work as a Probation Officer or Correctional Counselor.

I lived in Sacramento for four years. While there, I worked and went to school. In 1998, I earned a Bachelor of Science Degee in Criminal Justice with a specialization in corrections from the California State University, Sacramento. After four years of undergraduate studies, I was not sure I wanted to work in the field of criminal justice. Therefore, I applied for graduate school.

In 1998, I was accepted to the Master of Social Welfare Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. I knew I was going to love Southern California as soon as I moved here. In June 2000, I earned a Master of Social Welfare Degree and Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Social Work and Child Welfare and Attendance from UCLA.

In August 2000, I was hired in the Los Angeles Unified School District as a Psychiatric Social Worker with School Mental Health Services. For three years, I served as an Early Behavior Intervention Counselor at Bridge Street, Dena, Hazeltine Ave., and Sylvan Park Elementary.

After working in the LAUSD for 2 years, I was interested in learning more about the field of education. So, I pursued a graduate degree in Educational Administration at the California State University, Northridge. In 2004, I completed the program.

In 2004, I began a full-time assignment as Psychiatric Social Worker/Outreach Consultant at Sylvan Park. At Sylvan Park, I am responsible for coordinating the attendance, enrichment, and mental health services programs on campus. In addition, I coordinate our Coordination of Services and Student Success Teams. I truly enjoy all the work I do here at Sylvan Park.