Paul Von Essen
For the past 25 years, Paul Von Essen has served as a school social worker with the Cherry Creek School District in Littleton, Colorado, working primarily with elementary schools. A major part of his job is related to creating a safe, respectful, inclusive environment so teachers can teach and children can learn. The “BullyProofing Your School” program has been the foundation for this work and Von Essen has trained in the program both locally and nationally.
Von Essen graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Maryland in 1971. He managed a group home for adjudicated delinquent boys in Maryland and helped the county establish a Runaway Home Project for runaway teens.
Feeling the stress of 100-hour weeks, he moved to the Rocky Mountains. After two years, he moved to Denver and worked at an inpatient psychiatric facility for several years and then transferred to the adjoining mental health center for eight years. There he worked in a variety of capacities: intake and crises, adult outpatient therapist, and as part of the more Intensive Day Treatment Program.
In 1982, Von Essen received his master’s degree in social work from the University of Denver.