April 2025

Haein Son, LCSW/CASAC-Master/Certified Crisis Specialist, is a third-year doctoral student in Social Welfare at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a 2025–2026 fellow of the Council on Social Work Education Doctoral Student Policy Fellowship Program. 

For more than 2 decades, Haein has been a dedicated advocate for mental health awareness in the Asian American community. He cofounded and served as the president of the Korean American Behavioral Health Association, Inc. In 2021 he coedited and published Understanding Korean Americans’ Mental Health: A Guide to Culturally Competent Practices, Program Developments, and Policies. This landmark publication is the first of its kind to provide comprehensive guidance on Korean American mental health, highlighting ongoing challenges and culturally responsive approaches. 

Haein’s research focuses on transforming mental health systems and reducing disparities in mental health care access among marginalized populations. His work particularly emphasizes the barriers that Asian Americans face in accessing mental health services. He aims to expand his research to develop culturally responsive behavioral crisis care systems, including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. 

Professionally, he is working as a director of external review at the New York City Children’s Center, a public mental health safety net for children and youth that is operated by the New York State Office of Mental Health. He earned his master’s degree in social work from the State University of New York at Albany. In 2008 he was recognized as an emerging social work leader by the National Association of Social Work New York City Chapter. 

The MFP has had a transformative impact on his growth as a junior researcher and scholar. Through the MFP, he has gained valuable professional development opportunities and built a strong network of peers and mentors who are committed to advancing mental health equity among BIPOC communities.

Looking ahead, Haein aspires to strengthen partnerships between academic institutions and Asian American communities to coproduce relevant data and inform culturally grounded policies. As an agent of change, he is committed to making a meaningful impact through his research, policy work, and social work practice to ensure that marginalized communities receive the equitable mental health care they deserve. 

 

Laura Smith is pursuing a Master of Social Service degree with a clinical concentration at Bryn Mawr College’s Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, set to graduate in May 2025. Laura started her career attaining a bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and has since worked in a wide variety of roles—from an associate producer for a film company, to a professional snowboard instructor, to a BIPOC affinity group leader. What's remained constant across all the careers is a dedication to education, connection, and creating spaces where people can grow and learn. Laura's education in social work has been focused on working with marginalized communities, including veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs, adolescents at Freire Charter Middle School, and those receiving community mental health services at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. Entering the social work field, Laura's personal practices will include supporting the growth of inclusive, trauma-informed communities and utilizing psychodynamic theory alongside cultural responsiveness and ancestral traditions to provide holistic and healing interventions for populations that have been historically marginalized, especially for Black and brown women. In a mental health culture where community health is often short-term, solutions-focused, and a revolving door of clients, Laura is dedicated to finding ways we can connect and engage in deep healing together.  

In addition to social work, Laura has worked as an equity and racial literacy consultant, developing initiatives to advance racial justice within educational settings. Notable endeavors include the creation of a BIPOC overnight camp, an anti-oppression K-2 curriculum, and a statewide program that builds healing spaces for youth of color. MFP has been so helpful in providing a space to home in on what it means to be a social worker dedicated to working with communities who have been historically marginalized, how to best be of service and connecting us fellows with others who are dedicated to our success. We are always standing on the shoulders of giants, and through the MFP we are able to see and feel that in real time. 

 

Nadia Sheikh believes that in order for mental health care to be accessible, we must get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Nadia received her honors bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of Delaware in 2023 and gave a TEDx talk "Why It’s Important to Care for Your Mental Well-Being."(Opens in a new window) She is based in Delaware and is in her last year at the University of Pennsylvania (U of Penn) for her MSW on the clinical track. During her time at U of Penn, she has committed to working with marginalized populations, specifically the local Muslim communities by providing psychoeducation and mental health support. Nadia has conducted research through her department with the hopes of creating culturally competent assessment tools and measures. MFP has provided her the opportunity to connect with other like-minded peers and support her in pursuing her endeavors. Nadia plans to pursue her clinical licensure after she graduates with the hopes of advocating for mental health accessibility and representation.  
 

MFP’s Legacy