Hellen McDonald

Hellen has experience working in inpatient and outpatient mental and behavioral health settings, with children, adolescents, adults and older adults. She has managed a community-based program for older adults in four Central Illinois counties and clinically supervised therapists in a social service agency. She has helped patients and families address end-of-life care matters and was the founding owner and psychotherapist of a successful private psychotherapy practice for fourteen years, with a special interest and certification in Perinatal Mood Disorders. She provides clinical supervision to social workers seeking LCSW licensure in IL.

Hellen joined the Field Education Office in 2009 helping MSW students plan and successfully complete their education requirements at sites across Illinois and the continental U.S. In addition, Hellen has developed and is the lead field instructor for international MSW internships in Cape Town, South Africa, as well as a short-term, faculty-led, study abroad class to Athens.

Over the years, she has been an active member of several taskforces with topics focused on:

• Student sexual misconduct
• Specialized Faculty Promotion procedures
• International and embedded study abroad programs
• Racial Justice

Her favorite role is that of Yiayia to her two beautiful grandchildren and mother of three amazing children.