workshop 7 | APIMHEC 2019

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

Advocating for Mental Health Literacy in API Communities

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!

Kimberly Saelee, M.A. is a fourth year Clinical PsyD candidate and intern at Reedley City College. Her research and clinical interests include attachment theory, life-span development, trauma and resilience, and multicultural issues in mental health. In her spare time, she enjoys acrylic painting, baking, and traveling.

Summer Her, APCC, M.A., is a doctoral student in the Clinical PsyD Program at California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Fresno. She has experience working with individuals in suicide loss and prevention, and domestic violence. She is interested in examining these areas within the Hmong youth, and exploring resilience, acculturation, and enculturation factors within the Asian American cultures.

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