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Our Leadership

Susan J. Wood, LMFT

Senior Director of Adolescent Services

Susan J. Wood, LMFT joined Phoenix House California in 2021 and serves as Senior Director of Adolescent Services, overseeing mental health and substance use disorder programs for youth and young adults across multiple counties. She provides clinical and operational leadership for Los Angeles County Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC), Drug Medi-Cal, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH), prevention, and juvenile justice programs, ensuring high-quality, trauma-informed, culturally responsive care. Her responsibilities include staff supervision, budget and contract management, program development, and cross-agency coordination.

Ms. Wood brings more than two decades of experience in community mental health, with extensive background in DMH-contracted services, crisis response, quality assurance, wraparound, Full Service Partnership, early intervention, and school-based programs. She is trained in crisis management and has worked with youth and young adults with significant mental health needs. Before joining PHCA, she served as Senior Director of Mental Health at Children’s Bureau, where she oversaw eight clinic sites and guided program expansion, clinical training, and a large management team. Earlier roles included leadership positions at the Child & Family Center and Gateways Hospital, along with early clinical work in outpatient therapy, foster care services, and quality improvement oversight.

A licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 2002, Ms. Wood holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.