About Us
Our Vision:
We envision creating a strong Network of Vietnamese American professionals who share the Network’s mission on mental health.
Our Mission:
To enhance the mental health of Vietnamese Americans in order to have a happy, healthy and meaningful life.
Our Goals:
To help develop and/or improve the quality of mental health services to Vietnamese American community
To increase awareness of resources for Vietnamese American community
To reduce social and cultural stigma of mental illness
To organize conferences on mental health issues
To provide peer consultation to Network members
To increase the number of Vietnamese American mental health professionals
Our History:
One afternoon in the summer of 2000, Dr. Phuong Thuy Le received a phone call from Mr. Hung Nguyen, who at the time was the clinic supervisor of Narvaez Mental Health Clinic, regarding a clinical case consultation. Somewhere along the conversation, Dr. Phuong Thuy Le brought up the idea of an association, a group for all mental health workers regardless of disciplines. Mr. Hung Nguyen received it with enthusiasm and to her surprise, a few days later Dr. Phuong Thuy Le got a follow-up call from Mr. Hung Nguyen, saying that the idea was well received by Mr. Chu Quang Dinh, and a few others. So over a period of several months, they met together to do initial planning for the Network's formation. The founding group was also motivated by the timing of this emerging project as it was the beginning of the new millennium!
The Network's first official meeting took place on Thursday, March 8th, 2001. Since then, the Network group met every first Thursday of the month during lunch at Narvaez Clinic. The tradition continued on until the Global Pandemic happened.
In the last few years, the Network group has met every fourth Thursday of the month, from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, via Zoom.
The name of the Network was one of the first agenda items that the Network group discussed. Dr. Phuong Thuy Le was very adamant about the concept of the group, and she believed it was shared by the original members:
The group has to be fun and supportive. You do it because you have fun doing it.
No mandated added work or responsibility because we already have enough of it from our jobs.
We are not a legal entity. We will not apply for non-profit, no bank account, because none of us can handle this extra-responsibility.
The name “Network” came about to reflect the above concept: we are the professionals who get together to network and to support each other.
Dr. Phuong Thuy Le believes the above concept has helped the Network survive and thrive.
Followings are current and past Presidents of the Network(*):
2022 to 2026: Michael Minh Quach, MD
2018 to 2022: Lien Huong Cao, LMFT
2014 to 2018: Nhu Diem Dang, LCSW
2010 to 2014: Minh Tuan Nguyen, LCSW
2006 to 2010: Lien Huong Cao, LMFT
2000 to 2006: Phuong Thuy Le, MD
(*)From 2001 to 2003, the Network did not have a formal Executive Committee. Instead, we had "Coordinators" who facilitated the meetings and Network activities. Dr. Phuong Thuy Le and Mr. Hung Nguyen were the Coordinators during this period.
