This month, we are proud to shine our Promotional Spotlight on Elena Santellan, LCSW, Access to Care Director at Penny Lane Centers. Since joining Penny Lane in 2018, Elena has built an inspiring career rooted in compassion, curiosity, professional growth, and a commitment to improving access to care for the individuals and families we serve.
Elena began her Penny Lane journey as an Outpatient Therapist after earning both her bachelor’s degree and Master of Social Work from California State University, Northridge. Over the years, she has embraced opportunities to challenge herself and grow, moving through roles in outpatient services, quality improvement, clinical management, and now Access to Care leadership. Along the way, she earned her LCSW and continued expanding her knowledge and experience as both a clinician and leader.
An important part of Elena’s journey has also been supporting the growth of others. She has served as a mentor to new employees and, more recently, new managers, helping colleagues feel welcomed, supported, and empowered as they navigate their own careers at Penny Lane. These experiences have allowed her to share what she values most about Penny Lane’s heart-centered culture while developing her own approach to leadership and coaching.
Professional development continues to be an important part of Elena’s story. Through Penny Lane, she has pursued EMDR training, co-facilitated Diversity Beyond the Basics, utilized educational reimbursement benefits, and taken advantage of numerous opportunities for continued learning. She is now pursuing her Doctorate in Social Work through the University of Massachusetts, continuing a commitment to education that has been part of her journey since the beginning.
Elena’s passion for social work is also deeply connected to her personal experiences. Growing up in a low-income immigrant family, she witnessed the sacrifices her parents made to create opportunities for their children. Those experiences shaped her values of resilience, gratitude, compassion, and perseverance while giving her a personal understanding of some of the barriers faced by the families Penny Lane serves.
As she steps into her role as Access to Care Director, Elena is focused on helping make services as seamless, consistent, and welcoming as possible. She remains grateful to the leaders, colleagues, mentors, and family members who have invested in her throughout her journey and hopes to pay that support forward by creating opportunities for others to grow.
With nearly eight years at Penny Lane, Elena’s journey is a wonderful example of what can happen when opportunity, hard work, mentorship, and a willingness to keep learning come together. We are excited to celebrate this next chapter in her Penny Lane story and learn a little more about the person behind the promotion.
Prior to coming to Penny Lane, I attended California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where I earned both my bachelor’s degree and Master of Social Work (MSW). After graduating with my MSW in 2018, I was excited to begin my career in the mental health field, and Penny Lane became my first professional role after graduate school.
I came to Penny Lane through a colleague’s referral after graduating with my MSW. I was looking for an opportunity to work in mental health with children and families. What has kept me here is the culture, the people, and the many opportunities I have had to challenge myself and grow both personally and professionally.
One of my favorite aspects of Penny Lane is the people and the relationships I have built. For the past three years, I have served as a mentor for new hires, allowing me to connect with staff across different programs and share what I love about Penny Lane’s heart-centered culture.
Last year, I also became a mentor for new managers, which has allowed me to share what I have learned about leadership and coaching from the heart. Helping others feel welcomed and supported as they grow has been one of the most rewarding parts of my work.
I began at Penny Lane in 2018 as an Outpatient Therapist in North Hills. A little over a year later, I transferred to Antelope Valley, where I continued as an Outpatient Therapist. In 2021, I became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and later that year transitioned into a Quality Improvement role with Intensive Services. Two years later, I was promoted to Clinical Manager for Intensive Services, and after another two and a half years, I stepped into my current role as Access to Care Director.
Throughout my journey, I have tried to remain open to new opportunities, take chances, and continue learning. I have been fortunate to have leaders and colleagues who recognized my strengths, encouraged my growth, and trusted me with new opportunities. This October will mark eight years with Penny Lane, and it is meaningful to look back at how each role and experience helped prepare me for where I am today.
Penny Lane has supported my professional and educational growth in many ways. I have used the education reimbursement benefit for licensing exam study materials and license renewal fees while also obtaining many of my continuing education units through trainings offered by Penny Lane.
One of my favorite professional development opportunities has been EMDR training and consultation, which has brought me one step closer to becoming EMDR certified. I have also had the opportunity to co-facilitate Diversity Beyond the Basics (DBB), which has helped me grow as both a facilitator and leader.
I am now continuing my education through a Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) program at the University of Massachusetts. Through Penny Lane’s partnership with the university, I received a 10% tuition discount and plan to utilize the annual education reimbursement toward my coursework. I am grateful for the many ways Penny Lane invests in continued learning and professional growth.
The biggest challenge has been learning the many systems and processes that impact access to care across different programs and locations, especially during a time of significant change within our service delivery system.
At the same time, this challenge has encouraged me to look at the bigger picture and identify opportunities to improve communication, consistency, and access for the people we serve.
People may be surprised to know that I used to really enjoy acting! I participated in skits and plays during my teenage years and even considered taking acting classes in college. This may be especially surprising because I am actually pretty introverted. Acting gave me an opportunity to be creative and explore a different side of myself, and it is something I still look back on fondly.
Growing up in a low-income immigrant family shaped much of who I am today. I witnessed the sacrifices my parents made to create opportunities for our family, and their hard work inspired me to pursue higher education and make the most of those opportunities.
Experiencing financial hardship also gave me an understanding of the challenges many families face and influenced my decision to pursue social work. I wanted to give back and support communities experiencing some of the same barriers my family faced. Those experiences taught me resilience, gratitude, and compassion—values that continue to guide me today.
My parents have always reminded me that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to through hard work and perseverance. They encouraged me to dream big, take chances, and persevere even when the path ahead feels uncertain.
Their advice carries special meaning because they did not have the same opportunities to pursue many of their own dreams. As a first-generation Latina, I try to make the most of the opportunities their sacrifices created for me. I remind myself to keep showing up, take chances, and make the most of every opportunity, with the hope that each milestone makes my parents, my family, and the generations before me proud.
I appreciate Penny Lane’s heart-centered culture and the genuine care shown toward both employees and the populations we serve. Our leaders make an effort to get to know their employees, are willing to be vulnerable, and are not afraid to have difficult conversations. That type of leadership has influenced the way I strive to lead others.
I also appreciate Penny Lane’s emphasis on personal growth and self-reflection. I have had the unique opportunity to participate in two Penny Lane pilgrimages—one in Portugal in 2024 and most recently in Cambria this past March. Both gave me space to step away from the day-to-day, spend time in nature, connect with others, and reflect. I really appreciate that Penny Lane creates unique opportunities like these for employees to invest in their own personal growth.
Gratitude has always been one of my core values. Growing up, I learned to appreciate what I had even during difficult times, and gratitude was something I often practiced through prayer. More recently, I have become more intentional about practicing gratitude by incorporating the Five-Minute Journal into my morning and nighttime routine. It reminds me to start and end my day with a grateful heart and, even on difficult days, to pause, reframe my thoughts, and find something to appreciate.
I am especially grateful to my husband and family, who continue to support and encourage me, as well as the people who have invested in me throughout my journey. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given and hope to pay that forward by creating the same sense of care, connection, and support for others.
Congratulations, Elena, on your promotion to Access to Care Director! Your journey reflects the power of continued learning, taking chances, supporting others, and remaining connected to the values that inspired you to enter this work in the first place. We are excited to see where this next chapter takes you and grateful to have you as part of the Penny Lane family!
