Lorraine Vicio helps East Bay families find adolescent mental health care

Lorraine Vicio, an outreach manager at Muir Wood Adolescent & Family Services, works with hospitals, schools and clinicians across the East Bay to connect teens ages 12 to 17 with behavioral health and dual-diagnosis treatment. Her approach centers on trusted relationships, early intervention and helping families navigate a complicated insurance-driven system.

Why it matters: - Lorraine Vicio’s work helps families find behavioral health support during a high-stress moment when teens need timely care. - Her outreach role connects local partners to residential treatment options for adolescents ages 12 to 17. - The work matters because families often face a complex mental health system shaped by insurance requirements and referral barriers.

What happened: - Lorraine Vicio serves as Outreach Manager at Muir Wood Adolescent & Family Services in Walnut Creek, California. - Vicio connects adolescents and families with behavioral health resources and residential treatment options. - Vicio works with hospitals, therapists, psychiatrists, schools and community organizations across the East Bay. - Her focus includes mental health care, dual-diagnosis treatment and co-occurring conditions. - Vicio’s role centers on referrals, relationship-building and community partnerships that support families navigating care decisions. - Influential Women profiled Vicio and acknowledged her work in community-focused healthcare outreach.

The details: - Before Muir Wood, Vicio spent six years at Pine Park Health. - At Pine Park Health, she worked in growth operations, community success, onboarding and care navigation. - As Growth Operations Manager, she led strategic initiatives and supported new market launches. - She also helped improve operational processes and expand healthcare access in California, Arizona, Las Vegas and Reno. - Vicio earned a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from San Francisco State University. - She said her career has been shaped by a love of learning, a willingness to take on challenges and strong critical-thinking skills. - As the oldest of nine children, Vicio said she learned responsibility and leading by example early in life. - Vicio said consistency, strong relationships and daily follow-through define success in her work. - She said the best career advice she received was that people do business with those they know, like and trust. - Vicio tells young women entering healthcare that careers do not need to follow a straight line to be successful. - She encourages them to build networks early, stay curious and keep asking questions.

Between the lines: - Vicio’s role shows how behavioral health access often depends on frontline relationship management, not just clinical expertise. - Her emphasis on trust suggests families may be more likely to engage when outreach feels consistent and personal. - Her experience in operations and care coordination likely gives her a practical edge in navigating referral systems and insurance complexity. - The profile also reflects a broader shift toward more open conversations about adolescent mental health and early intervention.

What's next: - Vicio will keep building partnerships that make it easier for families to access care. - Her stated goal is to make the treatment process less overwhelming so parents can focus on getting teens help. - As schools and families place more attention on mental health, outreach roles like Vicio’s are likely to remain important in connecting need to care.

The bottom line: - Lorraine Vicio’s work is built on one simple idea: trusted relationships can help move families from confusion to care.