Speaker

Elias Lefferman Ph.D. @VistaDelMarOrg fb

Elias Lefferman, Ph.D., President/Chief Executive Officer of Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, has served at the agency since 1976.  He was the Unit Director for Senior Boys in the agency’s residential treatment program until 1985.  After earning his doctorate in Clinical Psychology, he became the Director of Adoptions and Foster Care at VDM from 1985 to 1998.  During that time, he had been administratively responsible for the placement of over 1,300 infants and children into permanent homes.  In 1995, he expanded his responsibilities to include Out Patient Services, overseeing the agency’s clinical programs, including the Reiss-DavisChildStudyCenter and the JuliaAnnSingerCenter.  In 2000, he assumed the position of Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at VistaDel Mar, overseeing the agency’s clinical and administrative services.  In 2002, Dr. Lefferman was named as President and Chief Executive Officer of the agency.  The agency serves about 6,000 children and families each year and offers a wide range of mental health services to at risk children and their families.

Dr. Lefferman has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  He helped to establish Collaborative adoption practice in California and has served on state and local task groups focusing on permanency issues affecting children in our community.  He is currently involved in efforts to keep children at home and in their communities through community based programs that offer alternatives to out of home care.