It’s not a stretch to wonder if the late singer-songwriter Bill Withers might have had Dr. Michael Johnson, or someone just like him, in mind when he penned “Lean on Me,” his classic anthem to community ethics. After all, Johnson’s long and varied career—some 30 years in the military, 28 years coaching basketball, 23 years as an athletic counselor for academics at Moorpark College, 6 years teaching military social work at the University of Southern California, 8 years as a corrections counselor—has been devoted to the service of others.
It’s that depth of experience that makes Johnson such a valuable asset to PESA. As Director of Counseling, he oversees the organization’s social work department, which is referred cases by the Teen Court program as well as individual at-risk youth from school districts, charter schools, and various community-service organizations.
"Being able to guide and support kids has always been my thing," says Johnson of why he chose to join PESA in 2016. During his time working in corrections, Johnson encountered numerous situations in which good kids without any direction ended up ruining their lives and going to prison. "I've just always wanted to be able to help those kids before they get to a point where they get in trouble, and PESA was one of those opportunities."
In his work not only with diverted youth but managing a team of several dozen staff and interns, Johnson says he does not see himself as a traditional mentor per se. "My intention is just to help people," he says. "The world today is really difficult to navigate, and people need direction and guidance if they’re trying to get someplace. l'll help you out, I'll give you some direction." Johnson believes that it's easy for people to dwell on the negative things in life and not acknowledge the positives." For me, it's about helping people keep a balance, realize where they are, and help them get to where they want to go."
Case in point: His work with Joe (not his real name), a diverted youth who was referred to PESA in the summer of 2018. Joe ended up in Teen Court for breaking into a car and using drugs. His terms of diversion included 40 hours of community service, getting involved in a school activity, and obtaining family and substance-abuse counseling. Johnson arranged for him to complete his community service at a Veterans Service Agency in Glendale, and it was there that he learned of Joe’s passion for football but that he had quit during his freshman year of high school after falling in with the wrong crowd.
Now a senior, Johnson urged Joe to return to football as the school-activity portion of his
diversion conditions. “During summer practice, he said it was really hard, and there were times he wanted to quit, so we'd talk about that," says Johnson. "For the first couple of games he didn't play at all, and they kept him on the bench… so I reminded him, ‘You haven't played for two years, you’re a senior, the coaches know these other guys, and they don’t know you yet.’ ” This change of perspective encouraged Joe to stay with the sport, and by the fifth game, he was a starter—and remained so the rest of the season. "He began getting good grades while playing football, and everything started to gel for him," says Johnson. "He's done a great job, his family is proud of him, he's proud of himself…and he's just doing all the right things. PESA had a big part in that.
“It’s about passion…[we] have this passion to help kids, to improve society for all kids, so that they turn around and take a part in improving society.”
Somewhere, Bill Withers is smiling. ■