Lisa Smith, MA, LMFT

Trainer Bio Lisa Smith has over 19 years experience in working with children and families and at-risk youth in a variety of settings.

Lisa began her social work career in 1990 as a group home counselor serving at-risk teens, placed in long-term care, and completed her undergraduate work at the University of California, Irvine in Psychology. She went on to obtain her Master’s of Arts in Clinical Psychology with Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University in 1993. Lisa is currently a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

In 1997, Lisa joined the Orange County Social Services Agency, Department of Children and Family Services and has experience in the areas of Group Home placement, Adoptions Child worker and Home-Study Worker and Foster Care Monitoring and Investigations. She later promoted to Supervision as a Team Decision Making facilitator in the Family To Family Unit. She has experience conducting staff training, forum meetings and in-services for community providers and immediate social work staff. Lisa also has experience with completing investigations, crisis intervention and counseling for children and families.

In 2002, Lisa began teaching as an adjunct faculty member in the Human Services Department at the University of Phoenix and teaching several classes and workshops for Saddleback Community College in their Foster and Kinship Care Education. Lisa has also received professional clinical training in Adoption and Permanency education.

Lisa is currently a Supervising Social Services Practitioner for Children and Family Services in San Bernardino County as a front line supervisor. Lisa has experience on several workgroups and committee group member for several departmental adoptions groups, Improving Quality System Advisory Board, previous Co-chair for Concurrent Planning workers and current trainer in Safety Organized Practice model. Lisa is also a graduate of San Bernardino County’s Management Leadership Academy.