Dr. Kang-Yi, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at the Rutgers University School of Health Professions. A social worker by training since 2000, Dr. Kang-Yi’s foundational work in community outreach and healthcare education reinforced the vital need for mental health research that translates directly into real-world practice. Her research centers on partnering with publicly funded community organizations to address critical challenges, adapt and implement evidence-based practices, evaluate implementation and program outcomes, and scale effective interventions. She brings extensive experience in community-engaged, partnership-based research to improve mental health care systems.
Dr. Kang-Yi leads Maternal Wellness Solutions at Rutgers. Driven by her research on the steep drop-off in mental health treatment among perinatal individuals, she develops accessible, user-friendly interventions designed to build trust, boost engagement, and expand access to perinatal mental health care. She serves as Principal Investigator and Program Director for the following key Maternal Wellness Solutions initiatives:
- DECIDE for MOM Provider Training (AHRQ P30HS029759): Enhancing care providers’ competency in engaging and communicating with pregnant and postpartum mothers.
- MOMs DECIDE Program (DOHP26RHT143): Empowering mothers to actively participate and feel confident in their pregnancy, postpartum, and pediatric healthcare decisions.
- Digital Mental Health App for MOMs (DOHP26RHT143): Delivering free, evidence-based emotional and mental health support to perinatal populations in rural New Jersey.
Dr. Kang-Yi is a Rutgers Learning Health System Scholar, Core Faculty at the Rutgers Global Health Institute, and a member of the Rutgers Population Health Consortium. She earned her PhD in Social Work from Columbia University and an MSW from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed a joint postdoctoral fellowship with the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (Department of Psychiatry) and the City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health.