Optimal Edu Options takes a team effort to make sure client families find the best educational fit for their children. It requires the collective efforts of all our team members. So today, we’re putting the spotlight on DeAnna Granado, an educational and therapeutic placement consultant, life coach, and advocate. 

DeAnna came to Optimal Edu Options after seeing the close connection educational consultants form with the families they help. She worked with Optimal Edu Options’ Matt Curran in her previous job in a program that specialized in helping struggling young adults become independent. Matt introduced her to Gail, his wife and founder of Optimal Edu Options. The three are the dynamic trio who together give families the resources they need to place their child in the best academic or therapeutic program to help the child thrive.  

Her experience and depth of acknowledging give DeAnna the expertise to help families find the best educational fit for their troubled youth. She also is available for life coaching for those who have completed an alternative educational program and need extended support or for those of any age who struggle with life and need extra guidance and support to manage challenges. 

“Currently, I coach a woman in her 40s on budgeting, cleaning and organizing, grocery shopping, and being part of a community,” she says. 

With a background of helping others for more than 20 years, DeAnna plans to remain in a career path that allows her to help families who need her. 

“I always hope that Optimal Edu Options can help families come back together and that our resources can strengthen families’ needs so that they can be successful in the future,” she says. 

DeAnna’s career history includes working as a probation officer for youth in juvenile detention. She worked with those released from incarceration to ensure they were appropriately equipped with the necessary resources to reenter society, coordinating arrangements between teachers, the youths’ families, and care providers. 

She also worked in a residential treatment facility with troubled kids and teens and an outpatient psychiatric practice where she was a clinical coordinator managing multiple teams of case managers for those with severe mental illness. She also worked in a private non-therapeutic residential program in Glendale that focused on young adults with high-functioning autism. She was an advisor and worked in marketing/ business operations.

In addition to her clinical experience, DeAnna also has experience in life coaching. She’s worked to give young adults life skills, vocational resources, and proper family support. 

“My career experience prepared me for exactly what I am doing now as a therapeutic placement and educational consultant,” DeAnna says. “I have various resources to utilize, a large network of educational consultants to support me, and great connections and communication when needing support for families.” 

She wants parents to know that Optimal Edu Options is here to help relieve their stress, support them, and ensure their child receives the best educational and therapeutic placement possible. DeAnna is also a parent and empathizes with the struggles of those who need help. 

She credits Matt and Gail for helping her learn about the industry and equipping her with the knowledge she needs to succeed in her role. DeAnna’s favorite parts of the job are how well she and her team work together and how she helps many families with her experience and knowledge. 

“I’m hoping to be a part of Optimal Edu Options for a long time and to continue working with many more families, providing support and resources where I can to the best of my ability,” she says. 

Contact us today to meet with DeAnna or one of our other team members at Optimal Edu Options to find the right educational fit for your struggling child or teen.