Christina Wong

Mental Health and Program Policy Expert

Christina Wong established herself as a highly accomplished and dedicated Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a practitioner and policy change agent with over three decades of experience, primarily in mental health services and social work education. Throughout her career, Wong demonstrated an unwavering commitment to enhancing the well-being of individuals and families, both nationally and internationally, with her expertise in counseling, program development, and strategic policy advocacy. She has also contributed to the establishment of NASW membership and leadership as important in the professional lives of her students and colleagues.

Educationally, Wong earned her MA in Social Work from the University of Hull in the United Kingdom, after completing a Diploma in Social Work at Hong Kong Shue Yan College. She is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, all of which enhance her ability to serve and advocate effectively with diverse Asian American communities.

Wong's professional journey is marked by significant leadership roles, highlighted by her 10-year tenure as the LCSW Member of the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, appointed successively by Governors Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom. Serving there from 2011 to 2021, she played a pivotal role in advancing major regulatory changes that improved consumer protections and license portability for mental health professionals, helping the board move from talking to doing. This included long-needed attention to streamlining the licensing process for applicants from other states and improving continuing education requirements to ensure high-quality mental health treatment statewide. Her efforts in this capacity earned national recognition, particularly at the Association of Social Work Boards annual meetings, where she shared insights from California's experiences to assist other states in implementing similar improvements.

In her roles at the Glenn County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), Wong was a Senior Mental Health Counselor from 2002, she coordinated children’s mental health care. Since August 2010, she has overseen a variety of mental health programs and grants, demonstrating a profound capacity for strategic planning and budget oversight. Her leadership extends to developing critical initiatives such as a behavioral health internship program. She served social work students from Cal State Chico University for many years, earning a 2015 Field Instructor of the Year award, and a 2013 NASW California Chapter Chico Unit Social Worker of the Year honor. This honor reflected on her exceptional contributions to the field and her effectiveness as an educator and mentor to emerging social workers.

Her background also includes impactful roles internationally, notably as Dean of Student Affairs and MSW Program Coordinator at Hong Kong Shue Yan College, linking Eastern and Western perspectives in social work education and practice.

In addition to her full-time roles, Ms. Wong continues to impact the field as a mental health therapist with Empathia Pacific, Inc. Her dynamic career is a testament to her skillful integration of clinical expertise, educational endeavors, and policy advocacy to improve the mental health landscape.