Marleen Wong

MSW ‘71

Marleen Wong has been called the “architect of school-safety programs” by the Wall Street Journal. Thousands of children and families have benefited from her dedication, commitment and passion for disaster recovery, trauma and mental health. Wong is often the first expert contacted by the U.S. Department of Education and other federal agencies when there is a school shooting or national disaster.

She served as director of the school mental health unit for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), and was instrumental in implementing two evidencedbased interventions, developed in collaboration with RAND and UCLA, used by over 800 LAUSD psychiatric social workers: The Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools and Psychological First Aid: Learn, Listen, Protect, Connect.

Wong translated her scientific research with RAND and UCLA into practice that not only helped clinicians, parents and teachers but also many students who were exposed to trauma and unable to access trauma-informed mental health services. As senior vice dean for social work practicum education at USC, she pioneered the incorporation of trauma-informed practices into the curriculum so that MSW students received additional training to help children and families in crisis.

Internationally recognized for her expertise, Wong has developed mental health recovery programs and crisis disaster training for school districts and law enforcement in the United States, Canada, Israel and Asia. She contributes her social work perspective on numerous local, state and national committees, including the National Advisory Council on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Institute of Medicine Board on Neuroscience and Behavioral Health, American Academy of Pediatrics National Expert Panel, and the Blue Ribbon Panel on School Safety for Los Angeles County.