Meet the Kids Mental Health Foundation Executive Clinical Director

Ariana Hoet, PhD, executive clinical director of The Kids Mental Health Foundation, is the driving force behind our mission of providing educational resources that make sure mental health is a vital part of every child’s upbringing.

Dr. Hoet believes all children and families should have a fair opportunity to be as healthy as possible. That enthusiasm extends into her desire for making sure that people of all backgrounds are accepted and celebrated – a passion born from her own experience as an immigrant to the U.S. from Venezuela.

Her work in this arena led her to being recognized as a Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan by the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs for her work within the Spanish-speaking community. She also received the American Psychological Association Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions to Benefit Children, Youth, and Families and the William Oxley Thomson Alumni Award by the Ohio State Alumni Association. Dr. Hoet was also recognized as a Columbus Business First 40 Under 40.

Dr. Hoet works in Pediatric Primary Care where she serves primarily immigrant children. She is also a clinical assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University, with a role in training the next generation of behavioral health professionals who will tackle the emerging mental health crisis in children.

Dr. Hoet has become a go-to national expert for outlets including Axios, USA Today, CNN, Good Morning America, and Newsweek because she is a vital public voice for youth mental health, and also because she has made an impact on countless young lives in her clinical practice.

The work of The Kids Mental Health Foundation and Dr. Hoet helped draw U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy to Nationwide Children’s in October of 2022 to discuss the county’s growing pediatric mental health crisis. The following year, Dr. Hoet and The Kids Mental Health Foundation lead a roundtable discussion at the White House focused on mental health in the entertainment industry. 

Dr. Hoet is the proud mom of two toddlers and enjoys traveling, dancing and Ohio State football. She is also involved in Latino community events, both personally and professionally. Dr. Hoet is the co-founder and vice president of Parenting Culture, a national non-profit for culturally responsive and inclusive parenting resources.

She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from The Ohio State University and a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She completed her residency at The University of Colorado School of Medicine and a post-doctoral fellowship at Akron Children’s Hospital.