Parinita is the School-Based Service Lead and works as a school-based mental health clinician along with providing support to VOA Alaska’s School-based services team. VOA Alaska’s SBP team works in collaboration with the Anchorage School District to provide integrated mental health services to students along with guidance to staff and family on how to help students overcome behavioral, emotional, and social problems that interfere with success at school and home.

Parinita moved to Alaska two years ago, after completing her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health counseling, and has been working with VOA Alaska ever since. Before moving to the US, Parinita completed her Bachelor’s in Psychology in India and worked in education and psychology to support students and teachers in schools in Mumbai, India.

Parinita is passionate about working with children and adolescents and has experience providing evidence-based, trauma-informed care to youth who experience severe emotional disturbance, trauma, abuse, neglect, interpersonal or relational difficulties through a person-centered and strengths-based approach and works with students from diverse multicultural, socio-economic, and gender identity backgrounds. As a “novice” immigrant, Parinita is enthusiastic about supporting students new to the United States and learning to adapt to living and attending school in Alaska.

Parinita loves reading, playing the violin, and is extremely enthusiastic (read competitive) about playing badminton.

Through her work at the schools, Parinita strives to uphold VOA Alaska’s mission to empower Alaskans and uplift the human spirit.