Louise Nieto, M.A, LMFT
Best Practices and Principles in Youth Services
Louise Nieto, M.A, LMFT has more than 20 years of clinical leadership experience within behavioral health, health care, and government organizations. Her work spans three states (Washington, Oregon, and California) and includes implementation of regional and statewide programs to support Medicaid transformation, integration of behavioral health in schools and healthcare settings, and workforce expansion initiatives to promote behavioral health peers and community health workers. She serves as the Director for the California Youth Opioid Response (YOR California) program. Louise is also a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), focused on those who are uninsured and un(der)employed, families without permanent housing, and others who experience stigma or unequal access to health and human services.
As a clinician, she has provided treatment to individuals, families, and youth in diverse settings—from within schools and community agencies to inpatient and outpatient clinical environments. She has mentored therapists of color, worked in private practice and hospice care, and edited for The Therapist magazine. These collective experiences have helped to inform her technical expertise and leadership style to effectively engage partners, identifying and drawing on the strengths within people to implement projects and programs in communities, clinical settings, and government administration. Throughout her career, she has served as a leader and advocate in the development of innovative health initiatives, community and behavioral health workforce development, and effective community wellness programs. Ms. Nieto has an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of San Diego.
