Episode Summary
What does it mean to transform trauma into purpose? In this powerful episode of Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up!, we meet Steve Li — a Yale-trained psychiatric nurse, immigrant rights advocate, and MFP at the American Nurses Association master's fellow — whose personal story is as moving as his mission.
Host Indrias Kassaye sits down with Steve to explore his extraordinary path from growing up undocumented and experiencing family separation, to becoming a compassionate force for change in mental health care. Fluent in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, Steve shares how language, cultural humility, and lived experience help him break through stigma and isolation to build trust and connection with youth, immigrant communities, and underserved families.
Episode Notes
Tune in as Steve discusses:
- How community saved his life — and how he's paying it forward
- The mental health toll of immigration-related trauma
- Why culturally competent care and bilingual nursing matter
- What the U.S. can learn from global mental health systems
- The power of nursing in advocating for equity and justice
This is more than a conversation — it's a call to action for nurses, policymakers, and advocates to lead with empathy, cultural understanding, and courage.
Listen now and discover how Steve Li is nursing the future with heart, advocacy, and grit.
Learn more about Steve Li at https://emfp.org/mfp-fellows/steve-li (opens new window)
Nurses can earn free Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credits for listening to this episode. Full details will be announced at the end of the season.