SUPHAIN HTAUNG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Suphain is a dedicated public servant, having served in the federal agency, Social Security Administration, for ten years in various analytical to management and Regional staff roles. She recently served in the Compliance and Regulatory Affairs department for a licensed managed health care plan, providing affordable and high-quality health care to over 140,000 San Franciscans. From making an impact on a national to a local level, Suphain realized she wanted to mobilize diversity and equity in our health care system at the social grassroot level; to help immigrants like her parents who escaped from a military-ruled country, Myanmar, in search of a better life for their family. Suphain received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UC Davis and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from University of Illinois, Springfield.
Suphain looks forward to leading a talented staff and taking DHTI to the next level in this digital era; and connecting people from all-walks of-life to make health care in the United States more accessible and equitable for all.
Satwinder Mahabir, M.S., LMFT
Clinical Supervisor
I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist # 49976 with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. I have over 20+ years of experience supporting people just like you to navigate the challenges that life brings us all. My goal is to create a safe and nurturing space free from judgement or assumptions, where we can collaboratively uncover your hopes for therapy. As a Humanistic Clinician, I see you as the expert of your own life. My role is to provide reflection, explore relationship dynamics, offer alternative solutions, and affirm deep rooted strengths. I can help you overcome barriers and release maladaptive patterns of thought and behavior, while gaining insight into yourself and those around you. Ultimately, change, growth and joy will manifest through this journey. I look forward to walking on this journey with you!
I have advanced training in working with Depression and Anxiety using a Humanistic model, Narrative Therapy and Mindfulness Practice. I use Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy in my work with couples, which is derived from the adult attachment work of Sue Johnson. My specialty includes working with teens and young adults who may be challenged with self-esteem issues, difficulty navigating familial relationships, challenges at school, exploration of their sexual orientation or gender identity expression, and much more. In working with young people, I use elements of art therapy, hip-hop therapy, movement therapy, and drama therapy. All of my work includes linkage to community resources and practice of learned skills in everyday life so that the progress that happens inside the therapy room translates to outside life. My therapeutic framework is centered around culturally relevant, trauma informed, and strength-based care so that everyone is respected for the values and experiences they hold.
I am registered as a Certified Clinical Supervisor with the Board of Behavioral Sciences. I hold several years of experience providing clinical supervision to Marriage and Family Therapy Interns, Associate Social Workers, and Trainees. Many of the supervisees that I work with are placed in Acute Psychiatric Hospital settings, Outpatient setting, or community based mental health settings working with clients with a variety of clinical presentations including complex trauma, incarceration, PTSD, and mood disorders. I use a reflective approach to supervision and offer education in the form of reading materials and videos to enhance the learning process. Feedback and evaluation is integrated into the supervision process. My goal is to help you reach your full potential as a growing clinician
Rabih Obeid
Sidra Program manager
He has years of experience working in the sales and marketing industry for global and culturally diverse companies such as Coca-Cola and Danone Nutricia, five of which he gained essential pharmaceutical and clinical experience overseas. He created new opportunities for organizations and increased their outreach through the combination of market research, business planning, developing strategic plans, implementing market segmentation and customer relationship management strategies. He has an intuitive understanding of team cohesion and has become proficient in creating strategic partnerships with diverse communities and key opinion leaders.
Recently, Rabih’s professional journey has led him to entrepreneurship by co-founding an online startup. Being an entrepreneur has taught him the importance of networking, self-motivation, creativity, time management and self-discipline. We are pleased to welcome Rabih’s exceptional experience, skillset and knowledge to DHTI!
Mahmood Kohgadai
Clinical Specialitst
Mahmood Kohgadai is a mental health specialist at DHTI. He is at the end of his Counseling program at Walden University, and is beginning his journey as a mental health worker. He has earned his bachelors in psychology from UC Davis and is on his final stage of earning his masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. In addition to completing all coursework from his undergrad and graduate programs, he has also worked with children for most of his adult life. His time as an English and Math tutor has given him the knowledge and expertise to cater his teaching style to the unique learning needs of his students. His work with children with neurodevelopmental disorders has taught him to be alert and creative when engaging children and redirecting them to more desired behaviors. Along with his professional skills, Mahmood’s personal journey as an immigrant to the U.S has provided him the insight and motivation to help others. He is committed to providing social and psychological support to middle eastern/North African students to empower them through the challenges of immigration.
Sara Mansouri
Community Outreach Ambassador, Sidra
Sara Mansouri moved from her home country of Iran to the U.S. to further her education. With a Bachelor’s degree in science from the University of California, Davis, and natural talent in math, she previously taught k-12 students in South Orange County public and private schools. She was known for her love for teaching students with special needs and those who other teachers found to be exhausting and disengaged. Mansouri’s bilingual skills, her love of cultures, and bringing people together across cultures are assets that she hopes to utilize at DHTI. In addition, her passion and desire to help others, and to work in a job and environment that match her aspirations and values motivated Mansouri to accept the position at DHTI. She finds that welcoming and helping Afghan newcomers to the U.S. resonates with her own experiences in transitioning as a newcomer from Iran to America.
Wasim Ahmadi
Sidra Community Outreach Ambassador
I can serve, learn, build my career and strengthen U.S and International Community efforts in the United States of America with working at Diversity in Health Training Institute. I have graduated from Faculty of Language and Literature English Department. As a committed body to myself, my family, my society and finally to humanity and human beings, I strongly believe in five qualities necessary for everybody, who wants to achieve his/her objectives which are Hard Work/SelfMotivation, Honesty, Confidence, Trust, and Creativity. My experience includes News Writer Officer in TAJALA Radio TV, Translator/Interpreter in USA DynCorp International, Human Resource, Proposal Writer in ESKAN Construction, Human Resource & IT experience in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Dr. Maysa Hamza, Ed.D., M.A.C.P
Mental Health Specialist
Dr. Hamza is Clinical Psychologist, an Instructor at Stanford University, and a Visiting Professor in the Dept. of Public Health Sciences at UC Davis School of Medicine. Maysa has an extensive experience in case management and counseling services in Arabic and English to refugees and immigrants from the Middle East both abroad (Egypt; UAE) and in the USA (Sacramento County Dept. of Health and Human Services, county agencies, and NGOs). In the past +20 years, her clinical and research work has centered on war trauma, violence against women, and domestic violence in refugee families. She is an educator at Stanford and also lectures at UC Davis to medical and public health MPH and PhD students, and to Psychiatry residents on Arab explanatory models for mental health and illness, idioms of distress, help-seeking behaviors, and cultural adaptation and validation of assessment instruments. Prior to UC Davis and Stanford, Dr. Hamza has taught psychology at the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, American University of Cairo, Egypt, and at Bergen College in New Jersey. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress (AAETS), and of the World Federation on Mental Health (WFMH). Email: mshamza@ucdavis.edu
Roxanne Wong
Administrative Assistant, Data Clerk
Roxanne Wong came to DHTI as Administrative Support, media publication and marketing in June 2016. She has over twelve years of experience working at mental health non-profit Community Health for Asian Americans working with immigrants, refugees and the community. She is a Better Homes & Garden Realtor, writer of novel “Etched in Jade” and previously an AT&T Account Executive in marketing with extensive volunteerism in the Oakland Public School system. Roxanne has found nonprofit work to be the most rewarding in outreach and support of our diverse Bay Area. She happily joins & supports the team at DHTI for the quest of immigrant and refugee acclimation, career goals and the future of diversity in healthcare.