Dr. Areta Crowell was Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health 1991-1998. She was born and raised in Canada and earned her Ph.D. in psychology at McGill University. After a few years teaching in New Jersey, she chose to go into mental health services research after moving to Los Angeles and joined LAC-DMH 1965. She took on many different responsibilities at DMH over the next 20 years, in research, planning, and administration, including serving as Regional Director in the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys.  In 1986, she accepted the Directorship of Mental Health for San Diego County. She returned to LAC-DMH as Director in 1990, and was noted for her strong administrative and negotiation skills and for her promotion of consumer and family interests and involvement. Since her retirement in 1998, she has remained active on many mental health boards and on the Healthy Families advisory panel.

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