We are proud to announce that FSRI’s 5th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award is being presented to our colleague Sarnya Kunchithapatham Pichaiyappa (KP), LICSW. Sarnya joined FSRI in 2018 as a clinician in our Trauma Systems Therapy (TST) – Community program and is currently the Project Director for our School Based initiatives.
Sarnya’s background has strongly influenced her commitment to equity and inclusion. Sarnya immigrated to the U.S. in 2014 from India, where she left behind a successful career in software engineering to pursue the field of social work, with a specific focus on justice and advocacy for women and children. This career switch enabled Sarnya to not only speak out against injustices against women and children, but to do the work, day in and day out, to empower vulnerable populations.
Sarnya has demonstrated strong leadership in promoting DEIB initiatives both at FSRI and in the community.
In her role at FSRI, Sarnya has demonstrated expertise in providing evidence-based care to children and families impacted by trauma with a DEIB lens. In her current role as Project Director, Sarnya leads the RIDE Trauma-Informed Schools Partnership, where she has been pivotal in integrating comprehensive mental health practices into educational frameworks. Last year, Sarnya had trained over 1000 RI school staff on providing trauma-informed support for students, and has highlighted the historical trauma minority communities have endured in these trainings. Sarnya collects demographic data of each school district before she provides a training, and fine tunes the training to help staff learn how they can best support students who come from varying backgrounds. Many schools have expressed having a shift in mindset and starting to utilize a trauma-informed lens with their students after Sarnya’s trainings. Sarnya is currently also working on getting CCBHC school-based services up and running for Providence School District and has been successful in starting with 2 Providence schools so far.
Additionally, Sarnya developed and currently leads the Peer Connect initiative at FSRI intended to foster a sense of community and support among staff. She has taken this initiative to the next level by planning and hosting two meaningful events for FSRI team members – the Throwball tournament and the recent committee potluck – both of which were an opportunity to highlight staff culture and experience. Sarnya also participates as an active member of three FSRI committees – the Equity & Justice Committee, the Employee Engagement Committee, and the Policy and Advocacy Committee. Sarnya goes beyond advocacy to action, creating an inclusive and supportive culture for FSRI staff.
Sarnya has a long and impressive list of achievements and awards related to DEIB for her contributions to the community:
- Selected to participate in the Rhode Island Foundation’s 2023/2024 Equity Leadership Initiative with other leaders across the state;
- Recognized by Providence Business News as one of RI’s and Southeastern MA’s top “40 under Forty” for her professional achievements and active involvement/contributions to communities;
- Honored by the Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England with their “Leading Women of Distinction” award;
- Featured in the Faces of Woonsocket art exhibit for sharing her migration story;
- Received an “Outstanding Community Leadership” recognition and a “Resilience Honoree” citation from Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos; and
- Received a “Social Justice and Equity Leader” citation from RI senators for her contribution to community organizations.
Additionally, Sarnya is a current member of Women’s Policy Institute Leadership program at Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, where she is going to advocate for a bill that will increase the number of social workers in RI schools. Sarnya is also a Board Member at The Economic Progress Institute and the Rhode Island Coalition against Domestic Violence.
We are honored to have Sarnya as part of FSRI family, and present this well-deserved award to her.
