It takes a village to serve a Hmong youth (Livestream)
Kimiko Vang is Deputy Director at Merced County Human Services Agency. She oversees Employment and Training programs, Family Stabilization, Staff Development, All Dads Matter and All Moms Matter programs, and the Hmong Women’s Initiative. Kimiko has over 16 years of experience in social services and clinical practice as both a direct practitioner and an administrator. Kimiko holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).
May-Ci Xiong is a Program Manager for Merced County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services with the Children’s System of Care. She has experience working with community-based agencies and county agencies, and serving disadvantaged youth such as foster children. May-Ci is an LCSW and is currently providing both clinical supervision and professional consultation to colleagues in effort to better serve Hmong consumers.
Starting Emotional Wellness Conversations in Punjabi Communities
Dr. Preet Kaur Sabharwal received her PsyD at the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University in Alameda. Preet is the founder of the South Asian Mental Health Consortium which puts on an annual conference on the subject. As a mental health clinician and now program coordinator at The Hume Center, Preet oversees clinical services in their South Asian Program for youth, adults and families. Preet works from a cultural lens and provides services in both Punjabi and Hindi. She has facilitated a variety of workshops and presentations at conferences across the United States, and is considered to be one of the frontrunners on promoting advocacy and mental health awareness on behalf of the South Asian population.
Nina Kaur recently completed her Post-Doctoral Fellow at Portal Bell Hume Behavioral Health and Training Center, where she provided psychological services in the South Asian and Outpatient Program. She received her PsyD with an emphasis on Social Justice from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Francisco. Nina has provided therapeutic services to underserved and diverse populations in school-based programs and community mental health settings. Her practicum sites have enabled her to provide services in her native language, Punjabi. Nina’s interests include South Asian mental health, trauma, community resilience, social justice, and reducing mental health stigma. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Wright Institute School-Based Collaboration Program in Berkeley, California, where her dissertation examined domestic violence and alcohol abuse in the Punjabi Sikh community.
November 21 - 22, 2019 • Clovis Veteran's Memorial District, Clovis CA
2019 Keynote Speakers
Dr. Jei Africa PsyD, MSCP, CATC-V
Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) at the County of Marin
Dr. Jei Africa, PsyD, MSCP, CATC-V, Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) at the County of Marin, is an innovative thought-leader and clinician who is passionate
about integrating effective culturally responsive practices into the core functioning of County health services. Dr. Africa has 2 decades of experience in the areas of behavioral health, trauma, health equity and diversity.
For over a decade, Dr. Africa served as the Director of the Office of Diversity and Equity with the San Mateo County Health System where he led agency-wide efforts addressing health equity that received State recognition. He spearheaded the development of the first-ever multi- disciplinary behavioral health LGBTQ+ community center and led the health system’s change efforts to enable the collection of SOGI data for all patients.
In addition to his professional work, Dr. Africa was appointed to serve as a founding member of the San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission (2014-2017), and currently volunteers with Alliance
for Community Empowerment (ALLICE), an all-Filipino organization offering free education on healthy relationships (2007-present). He is an adjunct faculty member at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and serves as a board member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness CA (NAMI CA) and the College of Behavioral Health Leadership (CBHL). He is a fellow with the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) Leadership Institute.
Dr. John Tran, MD
Chief of Psychiatry for UCSF Fresno, and Medical Director of the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health
Dr. Tran serves as Chief of Psychiatry for UCSF Fresno, where he is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry. He is also Medical Director of the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health. A graduate of Santa Clara University and St. Louis University School of Medicine, Dr. Tran completed his residency training at Washington University in St. Louis, and a Fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry at the University of Washington. Before joining UCSF, Dr. Tran was most
recently an Associate Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is board certified in General Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry.
Call-to-Action Keynote Panel Presenters
Dr. Ghia Xiong, PsyD
Director of Living Well Center
Dr. Xiong is a psychologist who graduated from California State University of Fresno and Alliant International University in the California School of Professional Psychology. He was awarded the graduate Dean’s Medal in 2002 at CSU Fresno. He has conducted a number of researches on the Hmong and co-authored a book with Lillian Faderman, “I Begin My Life All Over Again” which captured the voices of the Hmong immigrants in Fresno. He has presented on a number of Hmong topics and served as an expert witness relating to Hmong cultural, beliefs, and practices. Also, Dr. Xiong was an adjunct faculty with Reedley Community College and Clovis Community College teaching Healthcare Interpretation.
Currently, Dr. Xiong serves as the Director of the Living Well Center at The Fresno Center. The Center is an organizational provider contracted with Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health to provide cultural specific mental health services to members of the Southeast Asian. The Center also operates a mental health training program with the goal to increase the number of bilingual and bicultural students and mental health professionals in the county.
Dr. Ya-Shu Liang, PsyD
Founding Director of the San Joaquin Valley Asian & Pacific Islander Mental Health Project, and Program Director of the Clinical Psychology Program at California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Fresno
Ya-Shu Liang, PhD, is the founding director of the San Joaquin Valley Asian and Pacific Islander Mental Health Project. She teaches in the Clinical Psychology PsyD Program at the California School of Professional Psychology of Alliant International University, Fresno, and is a licensed psychologist who specializes in working with young adults on issues related to identity, family, and trauma, as well as weight, eating, and body image concerns. Dr. Liang has given presentations on mental health disparities, microaggression, and diversity and inclusiveness, and has published articles on innovative community-based clinical services and language-based
discrimination. She is also the President of Central California Asian Pacific Women, a non-profit organization empowering generations of API women in the Central Valley. She recently received the 2018 Okura Community Leadership Award from the Asian American Psychological Association. Social justice and advocacy are dear to her heart, and she believes that, through empowerment and connection, people can heal, survive, and thrive!
Kylene Hashimoto
Founder and CEO of The Wildfire Effect
Kylene Hashimoto is a member of the Youth Innovation Project Planning Committee of the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission for the state of California. She is also the youngest member appointed to the Fresno County Behavioral Health Board; both of which she applied for less than a year after being released from her third admission in a neuropsychiatric ward. She is a 23-year-old, recent graduate from Fresno Pacific University,
and works at the AIMS Center for Math and Science Education as their Strategic Communications Associate. Kylene is the founder and CEO of THE WILDFIRE EFFECT - a fiscal sponsorship of Central Valley Community Foundation collaborating with both local and national agencies to reduce the confusion and challenges when navigating the mental health system.
Jonathan Logan
Lead School Psychologist at Clovis Unified School District
Jonathan Logan is a Lead Psychologist with the Clovis Unified School District. He has worked at CUSD for 29 years, with the last nine serving as the Lead Psychologist. He has been married for 31 years to his wife Carol and has a daughter Cassie (25) who currently works for Apple. He attended California State University, Fresno as both an undergraduate and graduate student. Jonathan has worked at variety of schools at both the elementary and high school levels. For the last three years he has co-coordinated the Clovis Unified Wellness Project. The Wellness Project was developed to provide social, emotional and behavioral supports for CUSD students and staff. He has provided training in a variety of areas, including Suicide Awareness, Trauma, Behavioral Interventions and Strategies, and Wellness. He works closely with the Behavior Consultation Team and coordinates the CUSD Crisis Response Team. Jonathan has served as a club advisor for the Gay Straight Alliance and provides training to district staff on how to provide support and care for students from the LGBTQ community.
Master of Ceremony
Gena Lew Gong
Gena Lew Gong is a Lecturer in Critical Thinking and Asian American Studies in the Department of Anthropology at Fresno State. She has extensive experience both working and volunteering in the Asian/Pacific Islander community, including serving as Board President of Central California Asian Pacific Women; Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Community Fund; Director of Public Policy for Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP); and as a National Fellow of the Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership Institute. She was recognized as one of the 2018 Top Ten Professional Women by the Marjaree Mason Center in Fresno. Gena holds a B.A. in Psychology from UC San Diego, an M.A. in Public Policy from Duke University, and expects to complete her doctorate in Educational Leadership at Fresno State in May 2020. In her spare time, she enjoys experimenting with new recipes on her husband and family, and learning and performing hula with her 9-year-old daughter, Jada.
Gurdeep Sihota Herbet
Gurdeep Sihota Hébert was born and raised in Selma, California. She is a first generation Asian-Indian. After attending Selma High School, Gurdeep began her college education at Fresno City College by obtaining her associate of arts degree. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at Fresno State and went on to receive her master’s degree in Organizational Behavior.
Gurdeep worked for Fresno City College for nearly 18 years as the College Center Assistant and the Director of College Activities. During this time, she was responsible for organizing cultural, social and academic programming as well as student leadership. Gurdeep was instrumental in organizing the appearances an elite group of women speakers such as the late Maya Angelou, Naomi Tutu, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Michael Eric Dyson, Ruben Navarrete, Susan Taylor and Amy Tan—just to name a few.
In October 2009, Gurdeep began serving as the Executive Director for State Center Community College Foundation. Her main responsibility was to lead the Foundation in raising funds for scholarships and programs for students and faculty of Fresno City College, Reedley College, Clovis Community College, Madera Center, and the Oakhurst Center. Her fundraising efforts included a capital campaign for the restoration of the Old Administration Building at Fresno City College, a scholarship campaign that raised over $700,000. Gurdeep also secured the first $1 million dollar gift ever received by the State Center Community College Foundation.
In October 2014, she began in her current position at the newest community college in the state, Clovis Community College, where she serves as the Dean of Student Services. Gurdeep serves on the board of directors of the Central California Asian Pacific Women’s organization and the Commission on the Status of Women.