ANNA B. PARISI
Fairfax,USA
Summary
Licensed clinical social worker and Assistant Professor with more than a decade of clinical and research experience focused on the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. Expertise includes co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUD), addiction and opioid-related harms, serious mental illness, trauma-informed care, mindfulness-based behavioral interventions, and behavioral health services for individuals involved in the criminal legal system. Experienced in clinical intervention delivery, randomized clinical trials, intervention development and implementation, mixed-methods research, and graduate education in psychopathology, substance use treatment, and forensic social work.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Assistant Professor
George Mason University
Fairfax, USA
01.2024 - Current
- Develop and conduct independent research studies, pursue external funding, and disseminate findings via peer-reviewed publications.
- Teach multiple master's level social work courses each semester, including SOCW 660: Foundations of Direct Practice, 630: Clinical Social Work in Forensic Settings, SOCW 682: Substance Use Intervention, and SOCW 674: Psychopathology
- Serve as the course champion for SOCW 630 and co-champion for SOCW 682, updating course content regularly to ensure they reflect current research and evidence-based practices.
- Provide academic advising to graduate social work students and mentor graduate and undergraduate students affiliated with the Social Work Integrative Research Lab.
- Contribute to the department, college, and profession through committee work, peer review for academic journals, and other scholarly activities.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, USA
05.2021 - 09.2023
- Worked with Dr. Eric Garland on NIH- and federally funded clinical trials evaluating Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) for addiction, opioid misuse, chronic pain, PTSD symptoms, and tobacco/other drug use.
- Delivered behavioral interventions as a study therapist, conducted participant assessments, managed and analyzed clinical trial data, and contributed to peer-reviewed dissemination.
- Received advanced training and supervision in MORE and contributed to research on mechanisms of treatment response, including emotion regulation, craving, interoception, and posttraumatic stress.
- Provided clinical training and supervision to graduate and undergraduate trainees.
Graduate Research Assistant
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, USA
08.2017 - 05.2021
- Supported NIMH-funded intervention research aimed at enhancing mental health services for incarcerated and community-based individuals with serious mental illness.
- Supported randomized clinical trial and intervention-development activities, including participant recruitment, assessment, intervention delivery, qualitative research, fidelity monitoring, data analysis, and dissemination.
- Investigated substance use, trauma, criminogenic risk, and behavioral health service utilization to identify intervention needs among criminal legal system-involved populations with serious mental illness.
Outpatient Therapist
Fellowship Health Resources
Cary, USA
12.2015 - 06.2017
- Provided outpatient behavioral health treatment to adults with mental health and substance use concerns using evidence-based approaches including DBT, EMDR, and CBT.
- Conducted clinical assessment, treatment planning, crisis intervention, and care coordination for clients with complex and co-occurring behavioral health needs.
Outpatient Therapist & Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Team Lead
RHA Behavioral Health
Burlington, USA
05.2014 - 12.2015
- Provided evidence-based clinical services to children, adolescents, and adults with DSM-5 mental health, substance use, and comorbid disorders.
- Conducted comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments and diagnostic evaluations, developed treatment plans, facilitated individual and group psychotherapy, provided crisis response, and managed case management.
- Developed and led agency’s first Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Team (SAIOP), supervising and training team members while managing client enrollment, discharge, and aftercare referrals.
Community Support Team Therapist
Carolina Outreach
Durham, USA
09.2013 - 05.2014
- Provided direct clinical support to adults with mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders who had complex and extensive clinical needs.
- Provided evidence-based therapeutic interventions to assist clients in addressing difficulties across a range of life domains, including emotional, behavioral, social, safety, housing, medical and physical health, educational, vocational, and legal functioning.
- Maintained availability 24/7/365 to provide crisis response and ongoing clinical support.
Education
PhD - Social Work
University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC05-2021
MSW - Social Work, Substance Use And Addictions Specialist Program
University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC09-2013
BA - Psychology
University of North Carolina At Greensboro
Greensboro, NC05-2010
Skills
- Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Treatment
- PTSD & Trauma
- Co-occurring Mental Health/SUD
- Mindfulness-based Interventions
- Serious Mental Illness
- Opioid Misuse & Addiction
- Criminal Legal System & Reentry
- Evidence-Based Behavioral Interventions
- Clinical Trials
- Intervention Development & Implementation
- Quantitative, Qualitative, & Mixed-Methods Research
Clinical Licensure
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Virginia; License #: 0904019899
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), North Carolina; License #: C009765
- Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS), North Carolina, License #: LCAS-3525 (inactive)
Selected Research And Scholarly Experience
- Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement for addiction, stress, chronic pain, opioid misuse, and PTSD, including work on multiple randomized clinical trials.
- Integrated treatment and implementation needs for co-occurring PTSD and SUD among individuals involved in the criminal legal system.
- Substance use treatment access and utilization among individuals under community supervision and other system-involved populations.
- Intervention development for people with serious mental illness at risk for criminal legal system contact.
- Perinatal mental health and substance use treatment service delivery.
Selected Professional Training
- Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement Training
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy Intensive Training
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Basic Training
- Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk for Substance Use Disorders
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intermediate Training
- Mind & Life Summer Research Institute
Selected Publications
- Parisi, A. B., Wilson, A. B., Matto, H., Swaine, J., & Fretwell, A. (In Press). Addressing comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders among individuals involved in the criminal legal system: A qualitative study of clinician perspectives. Journal of Dual Diagnosis.
- Parisi, A., Hudak, J., Froeliger, B., & Garland, E. L. (2023). Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement reduces post-traumatic stress via reappraisal among patients with chronic pain and co-occurring opioid misuse. Nature Mental Health, 1(7), 489–500.
- Parisi, A., Roberts, R. L., Hanley, A. W., & Garland, E. L. (2022). Mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement for addictive behavior, psychiatric distress, and chronic pain: a multilevel meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Mindfulness, 13(10), 2396-2412.
- Parisi, A. B., Hanley, A. W., & Garland, E. L. (2022). Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement reduces opioid craving, pain, and negative affect among chronic pain patients on long-term opioid therapy. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 152, 104066.
- Parisi, A. B., Peacock, A. M., Krajewski, T., Paquette, C. E., & Brinkley-Rubinstein, L. (2026). The Receipt of Substance Use Disorder Treatment Among Individuals Under Community Supervision at Risk for HIV. Substance Use & Misuse, 61(2), 179-189.
Education And Clinical Licensure
- PhD, Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 01/01/17, 12/31/21
- MSW, Social Work, Substance Use and Addictions Specialist Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- BA, Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 01/01/07, 12/31/10
Timeline
Assistant Professor
George Mason University
01.2024 - Current
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Utah
05.2021 - 09.2023
Graduate Research Assistant
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
08.2017 - 05.2021
Outpatient Therapist
Fellowship Health Resources
12.2015 - 06.2017
Outpatient Therapist & Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Team Lead
RHA Behavioral Health
05.2014 - 12.2015
Community Support Team Therapist
Carolina Outreach
09.2013 - 05.2014
PhD - Social Work
University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
MSW - Social Work, Substance Use And Addictions Specialist Program
University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
BA - Psychology
University of North Carolina At Greensboro