Chief Operating Officer
Social Current
Portland, Maine
Arabella Pérez is a licensed clinical social worker of 30 years and holds an MSW and DSW from Tulane University.
Prior to joining Social Current, Dr. Pérez was the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the National Association of Social Work, a social work professor at the University of New England, a system of care director from 2005-2015, leading three SAMHSA grants for the state of Maine and the founder and CEO of a non-profit, THRIVE, a technical assistance center for trauma and culturally informed care. Additionally, she is a graduate of the Hanley Leadership program and was named a teaching scholar on justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion creating curricula and toolkit guides for the Maine Educational System.
Dr. Pérez is a certified cultural competency educator and has consulted with states and communities on the development of behavioral health systems through federal site monitoring and coaching for SAMHSA. Her private consultation practice has focused on leadership and trauma informed organizational change management in the private and not for profit sectors.
She is a sought-out presenter and has published on the topic of trauma informed care and culturally empowering education. She is the proud daughter of Cuban and Puerto Rican parents, and in her spare time can be found salsa dancing with her husband.
PRECON2 - Leading From a Secure Base: Building Resilient Organizations in Times of Uncertainty
Sunday, April 26, 2026
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM MDT