Dr. Susan Berman is appointed President and CEO of The Help Group, a nonprofit organization committed to supporting young people with special needs.
Los Angeles, CA, October 24, 2023 — The Help Group’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Dr. Susan Berman, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Help Group, has been appointed President and CEO, following the retirement of its Founder, Dr. Barbara Firestone, now CEO Emerita. The Help Group extends its deepest gratitude to Dr. Firestone for dedicating her life’s work to The Help Group for the past 48 years and will be dedicating a campus in honor of her remarkable legacy.
For more than 40 years, Dr. Berman has been an integral part of The Help Group’s history, most recently serving as Executive Director. As Co-Founder, her deep belief in the mission that “Everyone deserves a great future” has played a pivotal role in the growth and development of The Help Group, one of the largest nonprofits in the United States serving 6000+ young people with special needs and their families each year through its innovative educational, therapeutic, residential, community mental health and vocational programs.
According to Board Chair Gary H. Carmona, “Dr. Berman is widely recognized as a dynamic innovator whose cutting-edge initiatives have always been far ahead of their time. With an ability to cast a wide net, she has been integral in establishing programs to accommodate the ever-changing needs of the diverse communities we serve. We are confident that her far-reaching vision and steadfast commitment to young people will ensure that individuals with special needs realize their fullest potential to lead positive, productive and rewarding lives.”
“I am excited to continue to work alongside our dynamic Board of Directors, our more than 700 talented and caring staff and our dedicated governmental, philanthropic and volunteer partners to create meaningful synergies – all in the service of young people with special needs,” states Dr. Berman. “My goal is to ensure that The Help Group meets with compassion the ever-pressing needs of those in our community who seek our services. I see windows not walls in the face of challenges, and fervently believe that together we can make a difference.”
Under Dr. Berman’s leadership, The Help Group will continue to be that beacon of hope that it has been since its founding – a place where young people can feel recognized for their potential and celebrated for what they can achieve – a place where differences are considered strengths and a place where brighter futures are created. ABOUT THE HELP GROUPThe Help Group believes that “Dignity, Hope, Opportunity and Love” are the birthrights of all children. Our mission is to recognize, cultivate, and celebrate the individual gifts of young people with special needs related to autism, learning differences, ADHD, developmental delays, and emotional challenges. We offer innovative educational, therapeutic, residential, community mental health, and vocational programs, and we engage in cutting-edge research, professional training, outreach, and public policy advocacy. The Help Group’s fourteen nonpublic special education day schools serve children, youth, and young adults from two-and-a-half years old to 22 years old. Our schools and programs are spread across five locations in Culver City, Sherman Oaks, Valley Glen, Van Nuys and Inglewood and serve young people with a wide range of cognitive, social, emotional, and learning issues. www.thehelpgroup.org