Dr. Hy V. Huynh (they/them) is a values-driven and equity-centered community psychologist and global mental health researcher and practitioner, with a strong focus on child protection and inclusion and child and adolescent mental health in a global context. Dr. Huynh’s appointment at CHPIR/DGHI is uniquely interdisciplinary and integrates his extensive local and global community development practitioner experience, research training in community psychology, and expertise in ethical visual storytelling and communications. As a community psychologist, they are someone who tries to embody and advocate for community mental health and community care in research, policy, and practice, in support of marginalized communities faced with the greatest mental health inequities.

Much of Dr. Huynh’s research interests move beyond an individual focus to integrate more community- and systems-level influences to inform intervention strategies and policy change that promote mental health and well-being, particularly for marginalized youth and young adult populations such as orphaned and separated children, immigrant/refugee/diaspora youth, youth of color, and LGBTQ youth and young adults in low- and middle- resource contexts. Their work as a community psychologist practitioner both deeply informs their research and vice versa, which currently takes shape in the form of facilitating mental health therapy groups and mindfulness trainings, creating and adapting mental health interventions to be more culturally salient for minoritized and marginalized communities, as well as consultancy, advising, and teaching courses at Duke University.

Their key qualifications and skills include:

• 16 years of domestic and international development experience in Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, and the Southern United States, embracing innovative and collaborative strategies to address social issues concerning marginalized youth and families.
• 12 years of program and project management with knowledge and experience in assessment, strategic planning, technical and asset-based capacity building, monitoring & evaluation, and results-based management on programs and projects concerning marginalized youth.
• 12 years of quantitative and qualitative social science research experience on topics ranging from orphaned and vulnerable children’s well-being, mental health of sexual and gender minorities, child and adolescent bullying and peer victimization prevention, adolescent dating violence, to adolescent substance-use risk reduction.
• Advanced academic background in community and global development with a doctoral degree in International Family & Community Studies and a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology.
• Extensive global immersion and cross-cultural competency with 4 years of living and working abroad in low- and middle-resource contexts as well as personal and professional visits to 28 countries across 5 continents.
• Relationship-building skills, tying local, global, public, and private sectors together and acting as a bridge-builder for existing stakeholders through effective dialogue, negotiation, and communication.
• Diverse communication skills, including proficiency in written communication for academic, professional, and general audiences, as well as visual communications such as photography, social media, infographic design, and website design.
• Teaching, advising, and guest lecture experience for courses such as SGM Health Seminar (GLHLTH 364S) and Global Health Ethics (GLHLTH 210), as well as leadership programs such as the Hart Fellows Program.

Current, Future, Prior Projects

Researcher Activities

• Co-PI on pilot grant on Buddhist mindfulness mental health intervention in Cambodia
• Co-Investigator on SMILE (SGM mental health and well-being in Vietnam, Kenya, and Brazil)
• Co-Investigator on POFO (orphan & separated children well-being in Cambodia, Ethiopia & Tanzania)
• Recent Co-Investigator on Project Uplift (mental health and wellbeing of young LBGTQ+ adults in NC)
• Recent Co-PI on Monitoring and Evaluation Assessment of Child Care Institutions Across India

Practice Interests

• Adapting, training, & facilitating community-level GMH interventions
• Mindfulness-based MH interventions for LMIC Asian contexts
• Community Partnership Building in Asia/Vietnam
• Teaching on topics related to GH Ethics, Global Mental Health, Child & Adolescent MH at DGHI, DKU, SDGHI

Practitioner Activities

• Lead instructor for MS-GH “Global Health Ethics” core course, Laidlaw Scholar’s gateway course on “Community-Engaged
  Research Leadership”, and Asian American and Diaspora Psychology course
• Co-instructor for Global Health & Human Rights for SGD People, SGM Health Seminar, Frequent Guest Lecturer for Global Health Ethics, Global Health 101, Global Mental Health, and Global Health Challenges
• Facilitator for Durham-based LGBTQIA+ mental health therapy groups
• Mindfulness meditation teacher/facilitator for local and national LGBTQ+ community
• Research & Community Partners Advisor for Hart Fellows Program
• Research & Comms Lead for Duke SGM Wellness Program
• Communications & Outreach Specialist for CHPIR