UPLIFT Youth Foundation

Profile Current (Last updated: Aug 11, 2026 )

MANAGEMENT

CEO/Executive Director

Jessenia De Leon

CEO/Executive Director Experience

Dr. Jessenia De Leon, Executive Director of UPLIFT Youth Foundation, brings over a decade of hands-on youth mental health experience, including 8 years providing trauma-informed, bilingual crisis care to at-risk youth, to her leadership role. She holds a Ph.D. and MSW from USC, has built UPLIFT's evidence-based programming and evaluation systems from the ground up, and has secured federal and foundation funding to expand access for underserved youth and families. Her work has been featured on the Orange County Chamber of Commerce podcast, and she has led partnership activations with organizations like the Sacramento Kings, bringing both clinical expertise and community credibility to UPLIFT's mission.

Staff Information

Number of Full-Time Staff 4
Number of Part-Time Staff 13
Number of Volunteers 25
Number of Contract Staff 0

Staff Demographics

Ethnicity
Other 0
Caucasian 0
Hispanic/Latino 0
African American/Black 0
Asian American/Pacific Islander 0
Native American/American Indian 0
Gender
Male 2
Female 15
Not Specified 0

CONTACT

UPLIFT Youth Foundation

31878 DEL OBISPO ST
STE 118-475
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92651-1816

Amanda De La Torre

amanda@upliftyouth.org

Phone: 3237744896

www.upliftyouth.org