Theresa Elders M.S.W. ’78

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Theresa Elders M.S.W. ’78 has worked tirelessly in both the United States and abroad through such agencies as Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, the Arkansas Department of Health, and both Peace Corps and AmeriCorps*VISTA, championing causes for healthy lifestyles in healthy environments. Moreover, Elders has taught others to do the same, training counselors, social workers and teachers, and speaking at conferences worldwide on health and social service issues.

Four times Elders volunteered with the Peace Corps, working overseas for 10 years. Her first tour was in Belize, establishing a nationwide child abuse prevention program. After, she spent three years in Guatemala, independently consulting for orphanages, then rejoined Peace Corps to work in remote rural areas of the Dominican Republic, establishing volunteer pre-schools. In Seychelles she advocated for youth development, working with the Ministries of Education, Health and Social Services, and helped establish a national social worker association. Finally, in 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, she served in the gulf states with the first group of Peace Corps/Crisis Corps Volunteers ever to work within the United States. She also recently completed a year as an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer in her retirement community of Colville, Wash., promoting health care occupations.

From 2000-04 she took a leadership role in the Peace Corps as a program and training specialist in the Center for Field Assistance and Applied Research. In this role, she provided technical assistance to the field and headquarters on health and HIV/AIDS issues in both InterAmerica/Pacific and Europe/Mediterranean/ Asia Regions. She covered all aspects of maternal and child health, including prenatal and neonatal care, nutrition, potable water, prevention of teen pregnancy, HIV/STDs, substance abuse, domestic violence, child abuse and suicide.

Earlier, Elders worked for 16 years with Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, where, as a psychiatric social worker, she set up an innovative parent outreach project at MacLaren Hall. In the late 1990s, she was the state adolescent and school health coordinator at the Arkansas Department of Health, focusing on behavioral health issues, encouraging communities to adopt strengths-based approaches to reduce risky youth behaviors. She was particularly active in teen pregnancy and adolescent suicide prevention efforts.

In earlier years Elders served on the board of directors of the Long Beach YWCA WomenShelter and the Fine Arts Clinic for Abused Children. Additionally, she is a lifelong freelance writer and editor, and continues to travel widely.

“Terri is truly a health and social development professional who has had a global impact.” -- Erik Janowsky, health programming specialist, Peace Corps