Orlando Parrales (he/him) is a Ph.D. student in the School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in New York and Texas. He earned his Bachelor of Social Work from Texas Tech University and his Master of Social Work from Columbia University. Before coming to Berkeley, he worked for several years as a social worker with a homeless outreach team in New York City, providing case management services to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and sleeping in the public transit system.
Orlando’s research interests center on homelessness, aging, and health-related inequities. He is interested in understanding how older adults, particularly older Latino adults, navigate barriers to accessing shelter, healthcare, and disability benefits. His work seeks to bridge clinical insight and policy analysis to advance culturally responsive and equitable approaches to service delivery for vulnerable aging populations.
In addition to his doctoral studies, Orlando maintains a private psychotherapy practice and is receiving advanced training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). He also mentors MSW and undergraduate students as they develop their research skills and explore pathways to graduate study in social work.
Grounded in his practice experience and commitment to social justice, Orlando aims to integrate research, policy, and clinical care to promote housing stability and health equity among marginalized older adults.
Older adults experiencing homelessness; Latino health equity; Access and use of disability benefits
