Our Team

  • Executive Director

    sean.kirkpatrick@dhti.org

    Sean Kirkpatrick (he/him) joins DHTI as Executive Director with over 20 years of experience working in health equity and social justice settings in the East Bay area, including 13 years in community-based behavioral health and health equity for un- and underserved immigrant and refugee communities in a non-profit setting. Since 2017 and before joining DHTI, Sean served as the Coordinator of the East Bay Refugee and Immigrant Forum, a coalition of over 30 agencies serving refugees, asylees, and immigrants in the San Francisco East Bay and beyond. He also has worked as a subject matter expert for The LOOP, a health equity-focused tobacco control project at University of California at San Francisco funded by California Tobacco Control Programs, as an evaluator on various projects, and as a researcher with Prevention Research Center (a part of PIRE) on projects related the cultural, historical, and social contexts of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs use in Bay Area Southeast Asian communities and is a co-author on four published scientific articles on this research. 

    Before moving to Oakland in 2002, Sean received a Master’s degree in Urban and Medical Anthropology from University of Memphis, and was a doctoral candidate in Cultural Anthropology at University of Wisconsin-Madison. He studied Southeast Asian cultures and histories for over a decade, and conducted three years of ethnographic and historical fieldwork in Thailand, focused on social memory, nostalgia, and identity construction in urban Thailand. He studied Thai and Lao languages for over a decade. 

  • Clinical Supervisor

    Patricia Rojas-Zambrano, LMFT, Ed. D., is a Doctor of Education and licensed marriage and family therapist. For over 25 years Dr. Rojas-Zambrano has dedicated her life to working with marginalized communities  in the US and abroad. In her clinical and community based work she uses liberatory frameworks and arts based and other embodied methods.  In addition to her work as clinical supervisor at DHTI, Dr. Rojas-Zambrano is Assistant Professor in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of San Francisco. She is also a mixed media artist.

  • Community Wellness Program | Program Manager | Afghan | Dari

    mina.walizada@dhti.org

    Mina Walizada is a dedicated professional originally from Afghanistan, fluent in Dari, Pashtu including Urdu. She migrated to the United States in 2006 and has since committed herself to supporting and empowering refugees and Immigrants through her extensive experience in resettlement program. Over the years of experience as in Program Supervisor with JFCS-East Bay where she has played a pivotal role in welcoming and assisting new refugees, helping them integrate into American society with dignity and respect. 

    Through her leadership, Mina has successfully supported overseas the resettlement program and resettled thousands of refugees, ensuring they receive the resources and guidance necessary for a smooth transition. Her expertise extends to supervising the Afghan Health Promotion Program, where she led a team focused on navigating the complexities of the U.S. healthcare system and ensured the families receive the services they deserve. Mina has been instrumental in providing mental health awareness and psychosocial support workshops to the community, fostering a sense of belonging and understanding among newcomers.

    Mina Walizada, also founded a school in Afghanistan aimed at providing basic education to girls, helping to break the cycle of isolation and support their personal development. She holds a degree in general Science, equipping her with the knowledge and skills to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those she serve.

  • Healthcare Career Pathways | Program Manager | Chinese | Mandarin

    sophia.wang@dhti.org

    Sophia (she/her) is a Board Certified Music Therapist, MBA graduate, and violinist. She received her Master of Music Therapy from New York University and an MBA from International Technology University. She joined the Healthcare Career Pathways team at DHTI in 2021 with a passion for serving the immigrant population and the healthcare industry. She has 8 years of work experience in hospitals, health care agencies, behavioral health institutions, and education as a music therapist clinician, educator, consultant, and program manager. She brings her specialties in healthcare management, program development, and marketing to her current work at DHTI.

  • Healthcare Career Pathways | Healthcare Career Coach | Vietnamese | Canotinese and Vietnamese

    hue.ly@dhti.org

    Hue (she/her) is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, and has extensive experience providing services to populations with diverse needs. Her 8+ years of experience has been in the non-profit and private organizations. Hue collaborates with other organizations to ensure services are delivered, and she loves to see beautiful smiles from the community that she serves.

  • Community Wellness Program | Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist | Iranian | Farsi

    sara.mansouri@dhti.org

    Sara (she/her) is originally from Shiraz, Iran, she moved to the United States to pursue higher education and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Davis.

    Before joining DIH, Sara worked as a 6-12 mathematics teacher in public and private schools in Southern California. Through her years of teaching, she developed a passion for supporting youth, building meaningful relationships, and creating environments where young people felt encouraged, valued, and empowered to succeed.

    Sara was drawn to DIH because its mission of serving underserved communities aligns with her passion for helping others and her commitment to promoting equity, compassion, and mental wellness. As an MHRS, she provides culturally and linguistically responsive mental health rehabilitation services, care coordination, and resource navigation, particularly for Farsi-speaking individuals and families. Her lived experience as an immigrant, combined with her background in education and community support, enables her to build meaningful connections and help individuals and families access the resources they need to thrive.

    Sara is passionate about reducing the stigma surrounding mental health, promoting wellness, and empowering individuals and families through compassionate support, advocacy, and connection to community resources.

  • Community Wellness Program | Therapist, ASW | Afghan | Dari

    zuhal.haseeb@dhti.org

    Zuhal (she/her) Haseeb was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her family moved to Pakistan when she was eight years old, where she completed high school. In 2012, she moved to the United States and earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from California State University, Hayward. She completed a Master of Social Work at the same university and in May 2026.

    Her professional experience is focused on community mental health, with an emphasis on community well-being, overcoming challenges, and bridging access to available resources. She advocates for underserved individuals and supports them in navigating systems to meet their overall needs.

  • Operations Manager | Filipino | Tagalog

    alex.gomez@dhti.org

    Alex (she/her) is a Filipino immigrant who moved to the United States when she was 2 years old. She grew up Fremont, CA and received her Bachelor's in Business Administration from California State University, East Bay. Alex has 10+ years in the hospitality industry and has always been passionate about serving others. Alex started as a consultant with DHTI at the beginning of 2023 supporting the HCP team with the Angel Caregiver Program and officially joined the DHTI team in April 2023. Before assuming the Operations Manager role, Alex was Program Manager for DHTI’s Community Wellness programs, including Sidra. She is looking forward to working with DHTI to help support our mission and vision.

  • Community Wellness Program | Certified Peer Support Specialist | Palestinian | Arabic

    hanan.jaouni@dhti.org

    Hanan (she/her) is a Palestinian-American who was born and raised in Alameda, and went on to study Psychology and Cognitive Science at the University of California, Davis. During her college career, she was a research assistant at the Brain and Social Cognition Lab where she collected infant EEG data in response to emotional stimuli. After graduating, she came back to the Bay Area seeking to positively impact her community and trained to be a Behavior Technician. In September 2024, Hanan became a Sidra Mental Health Specialist (Arabic speaker), serving as an ally to the MENA community and working towards cultivating a safe space for emotional expression. 

  • Community Wellness Program | Therapist, AMFT | Iranian | Farsi

    nooshin.abedi@dhti.org

    Nooshin (she/her) is originally from Iran and moved to the United States with my family in 2015. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Iran and a Master's degree in Migration Studies from the University of San Francisco, with a focus on migration trauma and depression among refugee mothers and their school-age children. She is currently pursuing her second Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy to expand her skills and better support individuals and families from diverse backgrounds.

    Her career began in Iran 16 years ago, where she worked with small organizations supporting individuals with schizophrenia, as well as those who were blind, deaf, or undergoing rehabilitation.

    She later focused on working with girls who had experienced sexual abuse, many of whom came from refugee backgrounds. These experiences fueled my passion for helping vulnerable populations navigate their trauma and mental health challenges.

    In 2019, she established and managed my own clinic in Iran, leading a team of 20 professionals until the demands of overseeing the clinic remotely made it difficult to continue. After moving to the U.S., she worked as a Prevention Counselor at the International Rescue Committee, where she supported Afghan refugees as they adjusted to their new lives.

    She is committed to supporting individuals through transformative approaches that address both mental health and overall well-being.

  • Community Wellness Program | Certified Peer Support Specialist | Yemeni | Arabic

    hashem.awnallah@dhti.org

    Hashem Awnallah (he/him) is a public health and humanitarian leadership professional with over 15 years experience in both fields. He’s a U.S. citizen ‘born abroad’ where he came to the U.S. at an early age and completed his early college education in the late 80s. He then majored in public health and graduated from the University of Wales, College of Medicine (in the U.K). He also specialized in International Early Childhood and Youth Development (Canada). Hashem has also held several senior positions in Yemen as well as in the U.S., including: General Services Officer for USAID/US Embassy Yemen, Senior Health/Operations Officer, World Bank Yemen, the Human Development Sector covering health, social protection (i.e. social fund for development) and vocational training, Deputy Minister of Planning for internationally funded development projects, Yemen Ministry of Planning and Int’l Cooperation, Country Director, Islamic Relief Yemen, and Senior Strategic Adviser, Pure Hands (US).

    Hashem currently manages and operates a 501c3 charity which aims to empower the Yemeni and Arab American Communities in the Bay Area, focusing on mental health, education and civic participation.

  • Healthcare Career Pathways | Healthcare Career Coach | Afghan | Dari

    sultanadurrani@dhti.org

    Sultana Durrani is a dedicated Career Coach with over 12 years of experience in Human Resources, specializing in recruitment, workforce development, and career counseling. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Bakhtar University in 2015 and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kabul University in 2010, both in Afghanistan.

    Before moving to the United States, Sultana worked as Head of Human Resource in one of Afghanistan’s largest NGOs (Swedish Committee for Afghanistan), where she contributed to impactful programs in education, healthcare, disability services, and rural development. Her extensive experience in talent management, staff development, recruitment, employee relations, performance management, and HR policy implementation has equipped her with the skills to guide professionals in advancing their careers and achieving long-term success in their respective fields.