How to Get Your Child or Adolescent the Mental Health Care They Need

Rachel P. Jacoby, PhD, LPCC-S (OH), NCC, CFLE is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Supervisor. Dr. Jacoby is a visiting faculty member in the Counseling Department at Palo Alto University and president of the Association of Child and Adolescent Counseling (ACAC). She passionately enjoys working with children, adolescents, and their families and has worked in a variety of clinical settings. She is a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) and an Autplay Therapist. Her research interests include clinical work with children impacted by the foster care system, as well as crisis and trauma supervision.

Szu-Yu (Darlene) Chen, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Associate Department Chair of the MA Counseling Program in the Counseling Department at Palo Alto University. Dr. Chen is a bilingual, licensed professional clinical counselor and registered play therapist. She has primarily worked with children and their families in various settings, including schools, community agencies, and private practice. Her research and presentations focus on play therapy, play-based teacher intervention, multicultural issues in counseling and clinical supervision, and immigrants’ mental health issues. She received the 2023 Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development Advocacy Award.

Joanna Carson-Young is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Director of School-Based Services at Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC). Within her CHAC role, Carson-Young oversees the mental health prevention and intervention services provided to partner school districts and works collaboratively with CHAC's partners to meet the mental health needs of students. She also oversees CHAC'S marriage and family therapist training program that trains and supports clinicians-to-be. She is passionate about normalizing mental health as part of overall health and bettering the community by addressing emotional well-being and safety. Carson-Young also maintains a small private practice. In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors and creative arts.

Kelly Coker, PhD, MBA, LCMHC, is a professor in the Counseling Department at Palo Alto University and also serves as the Faculty Director of Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes at PAU. Dr. Coker has been a counselor educator for more years than she can count and as part of this work, has published and presented a lot. She loves to encourage emerging counselors to be their best selves and to always strive to meet their clients where they are. Dr. Coker is particularly excited these days by considering how lifespan development through a cultural and contextual lens can directly inform our work with clients.