Susan A. Archuleta

Biography

I joined the Social Work Department at Metropolitan State University in 2018 and served as the Grants Community Liaison Specialist. I am directly associated with the THRIVE Initiative Grant. This grant is in partnership with the Colorado Department of Human Services and provides training, coaching and post critical incident debriefing for Child Welfare Professionals in Colorado.

I am a native to Colorado and have acquired an extensive background with 42 years of experience, theory, and practice related to the many aspects of child welfare, residential treatment, and special education. I served on an interagency group as the Chair of the Threats Assessment Team while in Jefferson County. I also have co-facilitated training for the Child Welfare Training System. I have often expressed that, I am humbled by the work being facilitated by Child Welfare Professionals in Colorado and the message I often share through my work with them is this, I challenge you to not come up with your own barriers on what makes things difficult at times. I also challenge you to not lose yourself along the way. Whatever brought you here, whatever the motivation is, whatever brings you happiness at work, rediscover that place. Life is not fair, and neither is settling for less then who you are meant to be.

As an innate connector, I posses the necessary knowledge and skill base to interface with the many aspects of those who seek an understanding of the complexities associated with their work-related trauma as it pertains to them and the families they work with.

After 42 years of having the privilege of doing this work, if I could tell those considering a career in Social Work one thing, it is this: Social Work matters, the work you do matters, the people you want to help matter and you matter.

In my free time, I love spending time with my wife of 36 years and our beautiful 12-year-old daughter as well as our very spoiled pup! You can also find me fishing the many lakes and streams in Colorado!