Child Health Advocate & Educational Leader
Where policy, practice, and purpose align to support every child.
AC Consulting & Training partners with Local Educational Agencies, County Offices of Education, charter schools, private schools, nonprofits, and private organizations to design and align the policies, protocols, and practices that support children, youth, and families. The work focuses on building coherent, legally aligned systems that ensure services are coordinated, sustainable, and accessible.
Based in Orange County. Serving school districts across California and the United States.
30
Years in Human Services
15
Years Building Systems
28K
Students Supported
DSW
USC Doctorate
About Dr. Cruz
Thirty years in the work. Fifteen building the systems.
- DSW, USC
- MSW, CSULB
- LCSW
- PPSC
- Administrative Services Credential
- TF-CBT Certified
- Foundations of Motivational Interviewing
- QPR Gatekeeper Trainer
- Positive Discipline Parent-Educator Trainer
- 40-Hour Domestic Violence Certification
- Community of Care Parent Educator
- OC Behavioral Health Advisory Board
- CSUF MSW Advisory Board
- Grant Writer
Dr. Adela Cruz brings thirty years of experience working in human services organizations and fifteen years building systems that support children, youth, and families. Her career spans social services, community mental health, and public education, with deep work across multiple populations including children, families, the elderly, and individuals who are blind or living with disabilities. This breadth shapes her systems-level approach to equity, access, and the whole human person. She holds a Doctorate in Social Work from the University of Southern California with a focus on Organizational Leadership, a Master of Social Work from California State University Long Beach, and an Administrative Services Credential. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and holds a Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Social Work and Child Welfare and Attendance.
For fifteen years, Dr. Cruz has served within a large Local Educational Agency supporting over 28,000 students across twenty schools. As Director of School Mental Health and Wellness, she led the development and implementation of a districtwide system of care, expanding services from no formal infrastructure to a multidisciplinary team of social workers, wellness coaches, and cross-sector partners. Her work emphasizes sustainability through strategic funding, grant development, and integrated service delivery.
Services
Four service areas built on thirty years across human services and education
Each area can stand alone or combine into a full systems engagement. It starts with a conversation about where you are and what you need.
01 / Featured
Pupil Support Services Audit
Provides a clear, objective understanding of current pupil support services. A comprehensive review of existing systems to identify priorities, strengthen alignment, and guide decision-making.
What's Included
- Systems assessment and data analysis
- Systems alignment and gap identification
- Strategic planning and system improvement
- Leadership engagement and executive consultation
Deliverables
- Executive Systems Audit Report
- Data-informed findings and gap analysis
- Strategic implementation plan with prioritized recommendations
- Leadership presentation and consultation session
02
Translation of Audit Findings and Improvement Plan
A collaborative approach to systems development and implementation. Translating audit findings into actionable steps, with ongoing executive coaching and consultation.
What's Included
- Development of improvement plan from audit findings
- Executive coaching and consultation (ongoing)
- Collaborative systems development
- Implementation support and progress monitoring
03
Professional Development and Program Implementation
Professional development can be purchased two ways. As standalone training days for a specific topic, or built into a comprehensive systems engagement with embedded training across all four levels.
Delivery Formats
Training Levels
Program Areas Covered
04
Parent Engagement and Education
The Community of Care Family Initiative™ (CCFI™). Strengthens family engagement as a core component of student support systems. Rooted in the understanding that parents are a child's primary relationship, teacher, and support system. CCFI™ is delivered through the affiliated nonprofit, the Center for Youth Mental Illness in Schools (CYMIinSchools.Org).
Three Objectives
- Build parent and caregiver capacity to support youth wellbeing
- Strengthen family understanding of behavioral health systems
- Strengthen parent-child relationships and protective factors
Sessions Cover
- Child development
- Mental health literacy
- Trauma-informed practices
- Psychological first aid
- Suicide prevention (QPR)
- Resource mapping
The Data
Why this work is urgent
49.5%
of adolescents ages 13-18 had a mental disorder during their lifetime.
NIMH
3.8M
adolescents ages 12-17 had a major depressive episode in 2024.
SAMHSA
2nd
leading cause of death for ages 10-14 and 15-24 is suicide.
CDC, 2023
230,443
homeless students in California, a 9.3% increase year over year.
CALMATTERS
11%
of children ages 3-17 had diagnosed anxiety, 8% behavior disorders, 4% depression.
CDC
The numbers describe the need. The systems determine the response.
AC Consulting & Training
Sources: CDC, NIMH, SAMHSA, Mental Health America, California Department of Education. Full citations available on request.
Who This Is For
If you're responsible for student support services, this practice exists for you.
Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents
You know your district needs a comprehensive system of support. One that meets student needs, ensures parents' rights are met, and addresses the legal and ethical responsibilities of the agency. You need someone who has built these programs at scale and can tell you what's realistic, what it costs, and how long it takes.
Directors of Student Support Services / Child Welfare and Attendance
You're the one who has to implement and oversee programs, hire the right people, and keep everything compliant. Talk to someone who has already faced these problems head on in their own district.
Principals and Site Administrators
You see the daily reality. Students in crisis, staff stretched thin, protocols that don't quite fit your campus. You need systems that work at the site level.
Coordinators and Program Leads
You're running the programs. You need clear structure, documented procedures, and training that prepares your team for what they'll actually encounter.
County Offices of Education
You support multiple districts at once. You need a consulting partner who can deliver training, build shared implementation models, and help your districts avoid the mistakes other counties are making right now.
Are you ready to improve children, youth, and family services? Are you looking to support your school teams in their day to day efforts?
Reach out for a 30-minute consultation
Anyone in a leadership role working for a local educational agency, charter school, private school, nonprofit, or private agency.
How We Work
From first conversation to lasting systems
01
Consultation
A 30-minute call. You describe where your organization stands. Dr. Cruz asks questions, identifies the most pressing gaps, and tells you honestly what she can and cannot help with.
02
Assessment
If there is a fit, a deeper look at current staffing, systems, compliance status, and funding. This takes one to two weeks depending on organization size.
03
Scope and Proposal
A clear proposal with defined deliverables, timelines, and costs. You know exactly what you are getting and when.
04
Delivery and Support
The work gets done. Regular check-ins, tangible progress, and the option for ongoing advisory support after the engagement wraps.
Affiliated Nonprofit
The Center for Youth Mental Illness in Schools (CYMIinSchools.Org)
Dr. Cruz founded the Center for Youth Mental Illness in Schools (CYMIinSchools.Org), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs policy advocacy, parent coalitions, and the Community of Care Family Initiative™. CYMIinSchools.Org and AC Consulting & Training operate as complementary entities.
Common Questions
Before you reach out
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No. The practice works with Local Educational Agencies, County Offices of Education, charter and private schools, nonprofits, and private organizations whose work touches children, youth, and family services. If your organization is responsible for student support services, mental health, or school safety, there's likely a fit.
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Yes. Fee Schedule readiness is an important service. That includes cohort application support and building the billing workflows your staff will use daily.
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Good. The audit will be shorter and the engagement more targeted. The Pupil Support Services Audit produces a formal report that highlights strengths and identifies gaps. From there, the scope of any follow-on work is matched to where you actually are.
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Item descriptionIt depends on the service. A targeted training day is one day. A Pupil Support Services Audit typically runs eight to twelve weeks. A full systems engagement that includes the audit, improvement plan, and embedded training runs four to six months. Ongoing advisory support is available on a monthly or yearly retainer.
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Yes. Most organizations benefit from some level of advisory support after the initial buildout. Ongoing support is available on a monthly or yearly retainer basis.
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Item descriptionThe Pupil Support Services Audit uses the EPIS framework (Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment) and the UCLA Comprehensive System of Support model. We examine six domains: policy and infrastructure, workforce and staff development, direct student services, safety and prevention, family engagement, and community partnerships.
Let's Talk
Your students need this. Let's figure out how to build it.
Every engagement starts with a 30-minute conversation. No cost, no obligation. A real discussion about where your organization stands and what the next step looks like.
Prefer to reach out directly? info@drcruzconsultant.com | (714) 904-4359