Amber Lee Crume, LCSW

Amber Lee Crume is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years of progressive experience in the social services field, spanning nonprofit, government, and private sectors. She brings to the board a deep understanding of systems-level challenges and a lifelong dedication to creating equitable access to mental health and social support services across Los Angeles County.

Amber began her career as a teenager, volunteering in senior living facilities, where she formed early connections with residents experiencing cognitive decline and dementia. This experience sparked her passion for human connection and shaped her lifelong commitment to serving vulnerable populations. Over the years, she has worked with unhoused individuals, families impacted by substance use and intergenerational trauma, and children and parents involved with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

Her professional background includes extensive work across inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment programs, government partnerships with courts and law enforcement, and nonprofit organizations serving families facing systemic barriers. Amber has held roles as a therapist, supervisor, field instructor, and program leader, providing direct care while mentoring the next generation of helping professionals, from undergraduate interns to pre-licensed associates.

Amber holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California’s Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, where she focused her studies on the intergenerational impacts of child welfare involvement, trauma, and systemic inequities. She also holds an Addiction Counseling Certification from UCLA Extension, with specialized training in CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, and family systems approaches. Additionally, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Gerontology from California State University, Los Angeles.

Currently, Amber serves as the Assistant Program Director at Gateways Hospital’s Normandie Village, overseeing clinical services, supervising associate clinicians, and providing direct care within a residential treatment program for adults with serious and persistent mental illness. Her leadership style is rooted in compassion, curiosity, and cultural humility —values she carries into her work on the board, where she advocates for integrated, trauma-informed, and community-driven solutions to behavioral health needs.