You might say health care is in Dr. Kyaien O. Conner’s blood; her father was a hospital administrator, her mother a nurse. Her parents’ example no doubt impacted her career choice, but it was a family member’s experience with severe and persistent mental illness that exposed her to the system’s shortcomings and set her on a path toward equity in mental health.
“I saw firsthand how systems meant to support can sometimes fail to see the whole person, especially when race and culture are overlooked,” she recalls. “That frustration became fuel for my passion to pursue social work as a way to bridge the gap between mental health and health equity and to advocate for care that honors the full humanity of every individual.”
Today, as the Donald M. Henderson Endowed Chair, Director of the Center on Race and Social Problems, Associate Dean for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and a professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work, Dr. Conner advances culturally meaningful approaches to health and mental health. Her career is rooted not only in scholarship but in deep community engagement, policy reform and the training of the next generation of social workers.
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Redefining “Evidence-Based”
Dr. Kyaien Conner began her career as a clinician, working with individuals, couples and families. Early on, she saw a disconnect between the interventions she was trained to use and the needs of the communities she served.
“Some of the clinical interventions identified as ‘evidence-based’ were not developed, normed or tested on communities of color,” she explains. “In the context of mental health care, a culturally meaningful intervention refers to approaches that are not only clinically effective but also are deeply informed by the values, beliefs, practices and lived experiences of the individuals, families and communities being served.”
Her research addresses those gaps by developing and adapting mental health interventions for underserved populations. She is currently the principal investigator on a national study evaluating a care transitions intervention for African American and Latino/Hispanic patients with chronic illness and co-occurring mental health conditions. She also co-leads a multi-site NIH-funded project training community volunteers in low-income neighborhoods to deliver peer-based support for depression.
Beyond research, Dr. Conner has helped shape public policy. She co-authored legislation that restructured Florida’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, ensuring it was rooted in community input.
Working on the bill “was a deeply collaborative and eye-opening experience,” she says. “One of the most rewarding aspects was seeing how community input shaped the final legislation, making it not just a policy document but a reflection of collective advocacy.”
The Power of Community-Based Care
Central to Dr. Kyaien Conner’s work is the belief that lasting, effective mental health care must be rooted in the communities it serves. She advocates for models that go beyond traditional clinical settings, championing approaches co-designed with community members, integrated into familiar spaces and connected to broader social supports.
“The ideal community-based mental health intervention is developed with and by community members, not imposed from outside,” she says. “Thus, it reflects the cultural norms, languages and healing traditions of the people it serves.”
This perspective also recognizes that mental health cannot be addressed in isolation. For Dr. Conner, “The ideal intervention acknowledges that mental health services should be connected to support for housing, education, employment, and physical health… Mental wellness is shaped by environment and opportunity.”
Her team’s work often centers on peer support models, where lived experience and trust are critical. Whether embedding services in churches or training local ambassadors to identify and respond to emotional distress, the focus remains on making care accessible, relevant and grounded in the realities of the communities it serves.
Naming and Confronting Systemic Racism
Dr. Conner is candid about the role systemic racism plays in driving health disparities. Despite years of research and reform efforts, many barriers remain entrenched.
“Systemic racism in health care continues to shape the experiences and outcomes (health care and otherwise) of communities of color in many profound ways,” she says. Among the most visible examples: unequal access to services, persistent insurance gaps, and racial bias in diagnosis and treatment. “Black patients are less likely to be diagnosed with depression and more likely to have their symptoms dismissed or mischaracterized, leading to delayed or inadequate treatment.”
These disparities, she emphasizes, are not the result of individual choices alone. They are rooted in institutional structures and policies that have historically marginalized communities of color.
“One of the biggest misconceptions about health disparities is that they are solely the result of individual behaviors or choices, rather than deeply rooted in systemic and structural inequities,” she says.
From Policy to Practice: Building Capacity for Change
In addition to research and teaching, Dr. Conner is deeply committed to building capacity within communities. She trains lay leaders, embeds mental health care in accessible spaces and integrates art and culture into interventions to ensure they resonate with those they aim to serve.
“Our mental health system is overburdened and underfunded,” she explains. “Building capacity within communities to address mental health concerns within their own communities is one solution to help address access to care issues and culturally meaningful intervention challenges.”
Her policy priorities reflect this hands-on approach. Her research and practice support efforts to expand Medicaid, increase funding for community health centers, mandate anti-racism training for providers and diversify the health care workforce, steps she believes would lead to more equitable and effective care.
“We are, in many ways, in the best position to reflect the needs, concerns and challenges, as well as to develop meaningful and sustainable solutions for the communities we serve,” she says of the role social workers can play in shaping policy.
The Rhythm of Healing
Beyond her professional work, Dr. Conner is also a professional West African dancer, a practice that profoundly informs her scholarship and advocacy.
“Dance is not just an art form, it is a language of healing, resistance and storytelling that reflects the rhythms and resilience of African diasporic traditions,” she says. In her clinical practice, she has witnessed how movement can help individuals process trauma and express emotions that words sometimes cannot reach.
Art, she emphasizes, is both therapeutic and political. “Murals honoring victims of police violence, spoken word performances addressing racial trauma and community dance gatherings that reclaim public space all serve as acts of protest and empowerment.” For her, West African dance has been a personal sanctuary as well: “It’s not just physical exercise; it is spiritual nourishment and an emotional release.”
The Value of a Pitt Education
At the School of Social Work, Dr. Conner embodies the institution’s commitment to equity-driven, community-engaged education. The program combines academic rigor with applied research and strong community partnerships, preparing students to navigate the complex intersections of health, policy, and justice.
Under the mentorship of faculty like Dr. Conner, students develop both technical skills and cultural humility—tools essential for addressing systemic inequities in practice. Her work reflects the school’s mission: bridging scholarship and lived experience to drive meaningful change.
Pitt graduates are equipped to think critically, act with compassion, and advocate with purpose, qualities that make their education not only transformative for their own careers, but for the communities they serve.
Earn Your Degree Online at Pitt
Aspiring social workers can now access a University of Pittsburgh education from anywhere through the Part-Time Online MSW program option. Designed for working professionals and those balancing family responsibilities, the program offers flexibility without compromising academic rigor.
With a legacy dating back to 1918, Pitt’s School of Social Work is nationally recognized for its commitment to excellence. The online MSW program option prepares students to become effective clinicians, community leaders, policymakers, researchers and advocates. Through a combination of coursework and practicum experiences, students gain the tools to address complex social issues and create lasting change.
Whether you’re looking to advance your career or deepen your impact, Pitt’s online MSW program option provides a pathway to meaningful, equity-focused work in the field of social work. If you’re ready to advance your career and make a difference, connect with an enrollment advisor to learn more about the program or start your application today.