Michelle Lucarelli-Beltran, LCSW

Michelle is currently an Ombudsperson for Los Angeles County foster youth in STRTPs and group homes, which is housed in the Los Angeles County Department of the Auditor-Controller. Prior to this position, She worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services for approximately 11 years. She was an Independent Living Program Transition Coordinator for 4 years, working with current and former foster youth ages 16-20 on educational attainment, employment, housing, support systems, and other life skills. The years prior to that, she was an AB12 supervisor and social worker providing case management to foster youth aged 18-21. She also worked with foster and probation youth for 3 years prior to my work with DCFS through Para Los Ninos, where she provided Independent Living Program services, as this agency held a contract to provide such services. In addition to her experience with transition aged youth, she also served as a veteran member of the DCFS Hague Unit which is a group of social workers that travel to foreign countries to seek the return of abducted foster children through the Hague process. For these reasons, her areas of expertise are transition aged youth and international child abduction.

Separate from child welfare work, she is certified in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Learning, and is passionate about experiential modalities for trauma-impacted youth who may not be as responsive to office settings. She owns horses, as well as goats, and chickens, and believe in the power of their healing.