Associate Professor Dr. Susan Newfield from the WVU School of Nursing presented and cohosted at the Summer 2025 Social Work and Community Health Institute. The Institute took place June 9-20 and featured hybrid-style workshops, which allowed learners and presenters to showcase their work from home.
The hybrid format provided an opportunity to include presenters from Vietnam and the United States. This also enabled learners to participate in the workshops from many locations in Vietnam.
Dr. Newfield and her husband Dr. Neal Newfield are both mental health providers. She is a psychiatric mental health nurse and he is a psychiatric social worker. They have partnered with colleagues in Vietnam for 20 years through an international mental health and community health institute.
The collaboration began when Neal connected with a colleague in Washington, D.C., who was conducting training in Vietnam on human trafficking and mental health support for survivors of human trafficking. This effort grew from small workshops to a country-wide partnership involving multiple universities and international partners.
Susan emphasized that the opportunity for informal, face-to-face connections with Vietnamese colleagues is, for her, the most enriching experience during the institute. This provides an opportunity to create rich professional collaborations, creating friendships, collaboration, and shared learning.
Over the years, they have developed what she calls a “Vietnamese family,” many of whom are women working in social services. Susan shared that a Vietnamese interpreter, originally an English major, became inspired to study social work, came to WVU for a semester, and eventually stayed to earn her master’s degree.
“We’ve built some incredible relationships,” Susan said. “These relationships have evolved into long term friendships.”
The Institute focuses on mental health, community health, and trauma work, tailored to the needs of local professionals. Topics include autism, LGBTQ+ community outreach, pediatric care, and counseling skills, and other topics related to mental health and community health, blending U.S. and Vietnamese perspectives. In the past, the institute was part of a study abroad program for WVU students. This provided an opportunity for students to engage in discussions about community and mental health issues across cultures.
For Susan, the greatest reward has been the friendships and professional networks built internationally. She believes international exposure makes people more adaptable, open-minded, and empathetic.
“The more you expose yourself to other cultures and other ways of being and doing, the better you are at responding to life, because it gives you many options and helps you build friendships that have been absolutely amazing,” Susan said.
Assistant professor Amy Ankrom also presented at the Institute. Susan and Neal served as “hosts” for all the presentations, including introductions, general organization, and assisting with logistics.
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