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
Things to do in Fresno
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.
