School of Social Work

Ya-Li Yang is a third-year doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work. Her research interests include alcohol and substance use, family dynamics, recovery capitals and other social/cultural/environmental factors influencing the recovery process. Specifically, her focus lies in exploring how family communication can enhance or reduce individuals' likelihood of sustaining recovery. Yang is also interested in program evaluation, primarily developing and evaluating substance misuse prevention programs for those living in marginalized communities.

Before entering the doctoral program, Yang was a licensed social worker in Taiwan, working closely with people with mental health and substance misuse issues and their families in psychiatric hospital settings for a decade. From 2020 to 2022, she worked as an executive supervisor to oversee case management and national drug policy implementation for Taipei City in Taiwan. Yang was also involved in programs focused on preventing adolescent substance use during her previous research position, which further fueled her interest in pursuing doctoral studies.

Yang received her B.A. in Chinese literature and social welfare from National Chung Cheng University in Taiwan and an M.S.W. from Syracuse University, concentrating on individuals, families and groups.

Areas of interest

• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Family
• Health
• Mental Health
• Research Design and Measurement
• Substance Misuse and Addictive Behaviors

Education and credentials

Licensed Social Worker (Taiwan)
M.S.W., Syracuse University
B.A., National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan

View Ya-Li Yang's curriculum vitae.