Marisa Parrella

Marisa Parrella, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, has spent 20 years working on behalf of children and families in the field of children’s mental health. First as a child therapist and then as a clinical supervisor, program developer and advocate, Ms. Parrella has been a leader in the delivery of high-quality mental health services in Washington, DC, particularly in the school setting. Her post graduate fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center focused on School Based Mental Health, with an emphasis on trauma informed care and Latino immigrant communities. Since then, she has cultivated the use of trauma-informed care by child therapists through her leadership of specialized foster care teams as well as through the development and growth of the School Based Mental Health Program at Mary’s Center. Ms. Parrella is a member of the Coordinating Council on School Mental Health which oversees the New Comprehensive Plan for School Mental Health in Washington, DC. This plan, which was developed through a collaborative, interagency process in which Ms. Parrella played a central role, sets out the framework for creating a coordinated and responsive behavioral health system for students in public and public charter schools. Ms. Parrella served as an Adjunct Faculty Member at National Catholic School of Social Service at Catholic University of America from 2010-2014. Currently, Ms. Parrella serves as the Director of the School Based Mental Health Program at Mary’s Center which partners with public and charter schools in Washington, DC to provide on-site behavioral health care using the Mary’s Center Social Change Model. She is also the mother of 3 boys who attend DC Public Schools.