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Hyojin Im

Associate professor

Email: him@vcu.edu
Phone: (804) 828-2607
Pronouns: She/her

Hyojin Im, Ph.D., is dedicated to enhancing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for refugee and (im)migrant communities, both local and international, by building community capacity and partnership for culturally responsive services and trauma-informed care. She is also passionate about bridging local and global practices and policies, ensuring cohesive refugee programs and sustainable interventions.

Im has extensive experiences working with culturally diverse, trauma-affected communities in various settings. Working with the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT), she participated in a project to develop culturally relevant screening and referrals for trauma-related mental health symptoms among newly resettled refugees in Minnesota. She was also involved in international capacity-building projects, providing training on refugee mental health and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of psychosocial programs to local staff of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Malaysia, and humanitarian NGOs in Nairobi and Dadaab refugee camp, Kenya.

While at the Mack Center on Mental Health & Social Conflict, UC - Berkeley, she led a community participatory intervention project, Trauma-Informed Psycho-Education (TIPE), for at-risk Somali urban refugees in Kenya. This USAID-funded project evolved into a Cross-Cultural Trauma-Informed Care (CC-TIC) training aimed at service providers and Community Wellness Workshops (CWW) for refugee newcomers in the U.S. This community-centered MHPSS training and intervention model, along with its curricula, have since been widely adopted and rolled out in Virginia, Kentucky, Texas and other U.S. resettlement sites. Since joining VCU, Im has collaborated extensively with statewide refugee mental health initiatives, devising a layered approach to address the diverse mental health needs of refugees.

Areas of expertise

  • Community-Based Participatory Research
  • Health
  • Immigrants and Refugees
  • International Social Work and Global Issues
  • Mental Health
  • Race and Ethnicity

Education and credentials

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California - Berkeley
Ph.D., University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
M.S.W., University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Author: Im, H.
Topic: Community-based Participatory Research, Health, Immigrants and Refugees, International Social Work and Global Issues, Mental Health, Race and Ethnicity

Im, H., & Tefera, G. M. (2025). Discrimination and intersecting inequities to healthcare access among refugee newcomers in the United States. Archives of Public Health.

Im, H., *Amona, E.B. & *Saleh, M. (2025). Unraveling the interconnectedness of trauma-related common mental disorders in Somali refugees: a network analysis. BMC Psychiatry 25, 979

Im, H., † Verbillis-Kolp, S., *Kim, S., † Bonz, A.G., & † Mustafayeva, S. (2024). A multi-level modeling analysis of community-based mental health & psychosocial support group intervention for refugee newcomers in the U.S. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. Advance online publication.

Im, H., † Verbillis-Kolp, S., † Atiyehd, S., † Bonz, A.G., † Eadahd, S., * George, N., * Wadu., A.M. (2023). Implementation Evaluation of Community-Based Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Intervention for Refugee Newcomers in the United States. Health & Social Care in the Community.

Im, H., *George, N., *Swan, L.E.T. (2023). Gendered Health Outcome among Somali Refugee Youth in Displacement: A Role of Social Support and Religious Belief. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.

Im, H., *George, N., & *Swan, L.E.T. (2022). Born in displacement: Psychosocial and mental health impacts of country of birth among urban Somali refugee youth. Advance online publication. Global Public Health.

Im, H., *Swan, L.E.T., †Warsame, A.H., & †Isse, M.M. (2022). Risk and Protective Factors for Comorbidity of PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety among Somali Refugees in Kenya. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 68(1), 134-146.

Im, H. & *George, N. (2022). Impacts of COVID-19 on refugee service provision and community support: A rapid assessment during the pandemic. Social Work in Public Health, 37(1), 84-103.

Im, H. & *Swan, L.E.T. (2021). “We learn and teach each other”: Interactive training for cross-cultural trauma-informed care in the refugee community. Community Mental Health Journal. First Published October 7, 2021.

Im, H. & *Swan, L.E.T. (2021). Working towards culturally responsive trauma-informed care in the refugee resettlement process: Qualitative inquiry with refugee-serving professionals in the United States. Behavioral Sciences (Special Issue on Culturally Responsive Trauma-Informed Care), 11, 155.

Im, H., †Rodriguez, C., & †Grumbine, J. (2021). A multi-tier model of refugee mental health and psychosocial support in resettlement: Towards trauma-informed and culture-informed systems of care. Psychological Services, 18(3), 345–364.

Im, H. & *Swan, L.E.T. (2020). Capacity building for refugee mental health in resettlement: Implementation and evaluation of cross-cultural trauma-informed care training. Advance online publication. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. 22, 923–934.

Im, H. & *George, N. (2021). “It hurts so much to live for nothing”: Lived experiences of substance use among refugee youth in displacement. First Published January 4, 2021, International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.

Im, H., *Swan, L.E.T., & *Lindsay, H. (2020). Polyvictimization and mental health consequences of female genital mutilation/circumcision (FGM/C) among Somali refugees in Kenya. Women & Health, 60(6). 636-651.

Im, H. & *Swan, L.E.T. (2019). A Qualitative Exploration of Critical Health Literacy among Afghan and Congolese Refugees Resettled in the USA. Health Education Journal – Special Issue: Health Education and Migration, 78(1), 38-50.

Im, H., *Jettner, J.F., †Warsame, A.H., †Isse, M.M., *Khoury, D., & *Ross, A. (2018). Trauma-Informed Psychoeducation for Somali Refugee Youth in Urban Kenya: Effects on PTSD and Psychosocial Outcomes. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 11(4), 431-441.

Im, H., *Ferguson, A.B., & *Hunter, M. (2017). Cultural Translation of Refugee Trauma: Cultural Idioms of Distress among Somali Refugees in Displacement. Transcultural Psychiatry, 54(5-6), 626-652.

Im, H., *Ferguson, A.B., †Warsame, A.H., & †Isse, M.M. (2017). Mental Health Risks and Stressors Faced by Urban Refugees: Perceived Impacts of War and Community Adversities among Somali Refugees in Nairobi. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 63(8), 686-693.

Im, H., & *Rosenberg, R. (2016). Building Social Capital Through a Peer-Led Community Health Workshop: A Pilot with the Bhutanese Refugee Community. Journal of Community Health, 41(3), 509-517

Role: Faculty

Professional highlights

Presentations and invited talk (Selected)

  • Im, H. (2024, March). Polyvictimizations and FGM/C: Impacts on Mental Health. The second Annual Virtual Conference on Female Genital Cutting, Human Rights Initiative at University of Buffalo, NY, US.
  • Im, H. (2024, February). Building Capacity and Promoting Sustainability through an Ethnic Community-Based Peer Support Model. Keynote Address to the Kentucky Refugee Health and Wellness Conference. Kentucky Office for Refugees (KOR), University of Louisville, KY, US.
  • Sheth, N., Rodriguez, C., Im, H., & Anderson, K. (February, 2022). Understanding Behavioral Health Needs in Refugee, Immigrant, and Asylee Communities. Invited Panel at the Virtual Roundtable by The National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Virtual Platform.
  • Maleku, A., Sagalang, C., Yamada, G., Hahm, H.C., Im, H., Chan, K., & Szto, P. (2022 January). From Exclusion to Inclusion: Un-Erasing Asian Identities and Dismantling Systemic Racism Through Praxis. Invited Symposium Panel at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). Washington DC, US.
  • Im, H. & *Swan, L.E.T. (2022 January) Building Multi-Tier Mental Health and Psychosocial Supports in the Community: Towards Trauma-Informed and Culture-Informed Care for Refugees in the U.S. Symposium paper to be presented at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR), Virtual Conference.
  • Im, H., Mustafayeva, S., Ketcherside, C., Kilian, L., Darling, I., & Balmir-Derenoncourt, S. (August, 2021). Building Community Capacity and Partnership for Refugee Mental Health in Resettlement: In the context of MHPSS. Invited talk to the Preferred Community Learning Circle, organized by HIAS & Switchboard
  • †Mustafayeva, S., †Molina, H., †Ford, R., †Montour, J., †Shamsuddin, S., †Grumbine, J., *Swan, L.E.T., & Im, H. (2020 September). Building Community Capacity and Partnership for Refugee Mental Health in Resettlement: Towards Cross-Cultural Trauma-Informed Care. Workshop presented at the annual conference of the North Refugee Health Conference, Virtual platform.
  • Gonzalez-Benson, O., Harding, S., Libal, K., Darrow, J., & Im, H. (2019 January). Refugee Resettlement amidst Radical Federal Policy Changes: New Approaches and Local Actors Roles in Social Work Practice with Refugees and Immigrants. A roundtable presentation at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). SF, CA.
  • Im, H., & †Ray, B. (2018 June). Building Healthy Community: Community Wellness Workshops with Bhutanese, Afghani and Congolese Refugees in the U.S. Paper presented at the North American Refugee Health Conference, Portland, OR, U.S.
  • Beattie, E., Bonz, A., Im, H., Northwood, A., & Boero, J. (December 2016). Addressing the emotional health needs and trauma experiences of immigrants and refugees. National Immigrant Integration Conference, Nashville, TN, U.S.

Accomplishments

  • 2022-25: Institutional Mentor for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Health Policy Research Scholars (HPRS) program
  • 2023: Residency in Summer Research Institute, Harris Manchester College Oxford University, UK
  • 2017: Mentor Award for Social Justice Fund with International Social Work Student Association, Division of Inclusive Excellence, VCU
  • 2017: Social Justice Award by VCU School of Social Work
  • 2011: Buckman Fellowship for Leadership in Philanthropy
  • 2010: Diversity in Action Award, Hennepin County, Minnesota
  • 2010: Best Student Abstract Award, International Conference of Social Work and Social Development
  • 2010: Women’s Philanthropic Leadership Circle Award

Affiliations and service

Faculty Affiliates

  • External Faculty Affiliate, Immigrant and Refugee Research Institute (IRRI), University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
  • Faculty Affiliate, VCU Center on Health Disparities, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

Review Board Member

  • BMC Public Health

Ad-Hoc Reviewer (Selected)

  • Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services
  • Cambridge Prisms – Global Mental Health
  • Community Mental Health Journal
  • Ethnicity & Health
  • European Journal of Psychotraumatology
  • Journal of Traumatic Stress
  • Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
  • Journal of Immigrant & Minority Health
  • Journal of Refugee Studies
  • International Migration
  • Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
  • Social Sciences & Medicine
  • Transcultural Psychiatry

Media mentions (selected)

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