Perla Pelayo, Chief Operating Officer (COO) first joined the organization as the Collaborative Coordinator in November 2008 and has held numerous roles in the agency including Director of Programs, Interim Executive Director, and Associate Director before assuming the COO position in March 2021. In her current role as COO, Ms. Pelayo provides direct supervision to all four Agency Program Directors as well as direct oversight to program policies and procedures and works closely with SPIRITT’s Clinical Director, Program Directors, and Program Managers to provide consultation and direction on daily operational activities including quality clinical flow, staff productivity, referral management, and risk management.

Ms. Pelayo is responsible for program planning and aligning daily fiscal and operations to achieve contract requirements and agency strategic planning. She also works closely with SPIRITT’s CEO to implement human resources and agency-wide policies and procedures.  Ms. Pelayo holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work with an emphasis in Community Organizing, Planning and Administration, from University of Southern California and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Social Behavior from University of California, Irvine. Ms. Pelayo has more than 20 years of experience in the field of social services, which includes both clinical practice and administrative experience, particularly working with families in the areas of mental health, child abuse prevention, drug and alcohol prevention, early intervention, and family centered services.