Mindful of Community

Through her planned gift, Jo Danti ensures students get the support they need, just like she did for her graduate education.

Jo Danti immersed herself in DePaul's community health outreach programs while earning her master's and Ph.D. in clinical psychology in the early 1980s. Returning to her native Sacramento, California after graduation, she embarked on a nearly 40-year career focused on helping disadvantaged populations through community mental health programs.

"I thought that's where I could do the most good," says Jo. "And thanks to how much I learned through DePaul's broad range of classes, I was more prepared for my licensing exam than many of the graduate students I see today."

At UC Davis Medical Center, Jo led a team that performed psychological testing for children and teens with learning disabilities. At Sutter Medical Center, she worked with mentally ill adults, including people experiencing homelessness, while also directing a drug prevention program in under-resourced Sacramento neighborhoods.

After the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began, Jo also worked with TriWest Healthcare Alliance to provide counseling for military and veteran communities. She also served for 10 years as staff and then chief psychologist, for the State of California, evaluating peace officer candidates.

Now, through her will and qualified charitable distributions from her IRA, Jo is supporting education for deserving students at DePaul, which provided financial assistance for her graduate education.

"I come from a very poor family, and my education was in my own hands," says Jo, who was the first in her family to attend college. "I was also one of the first Hispanics to be selected for DePaul's clinical program, and I appreciate how its diversity has progressed since then."

Learn how you can support students in need with a planned gift by contacting Richard S. Goode, JD at (312) 362-8605 or plannedgiving@depaul.edu.