Robin Smith, an alumna of the U.S. Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) and the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program, leveraged her study abroad experiences into a meaningful career in cross-cultural mental health advocacy. Her career path underscores the importance of cultural awareness and the role of critical languages in delivering effective mental health care for all.
In honor of World Mental Health Day, a global initiative by the World Health Organization to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world, the American Councils 50 Alumni for 50 Years committee spoke with Robin about how her study abroad experiences influence her work as a therapist and first responder.
In 2012, Robin left the United States for her first study abroad program, the NSLI-Y Russian program in Kazan, Russia. Robin developed a deep interest in Russian and Slavic languages and cultures through this experience. In 2015, Robin continued to enhance her language proficiency through the CLS Program in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, further immersing herself in Russian language and culture.
Following her academic experiences, Robin explored different career paths before realizing her passion for humanitarian work. "I tried several different jobs after graduating in a variety of sectors: podcasts, teaching, Consular Affairs, and then when COVID started, decided I wanted to be in the trenches helping people,” Robin shared.
In 2020, Robin made the pivotal decision to shift her focus toward mental health care. She completed her MA in child psychology and became a pediatric mental health therapist, specializing in evidence-based interventions for children, adolescents, and young adults. Her background in Russian culture and language, combined with her mental health expertise, would soon prove invaluable.
In 2021, Robin continued her collaboration with American Councils for International Education as a recruiter for the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program in Kyrgyzstan. During her time in Kyrgyzstan, Robin engaged with the country’s only teen mental health organization, which provided her with insights into the differences between mental health services in the U.S. and Kyrgyzstan. Collaborating closely with a Kyrgyz psychologist, Robin gained a deeper understanding of the cultural context surrounding mental health treatment in Central Asia. After conducting a preliminary literature review on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in the region, Robin realized the urgent need for broader discussions on mental health.
To help bridge this gap, Robin began collaborating with the American Center in Bishkek, where she hosted workshops on CBT strategies for anxiety for Kyrgyz youth. “I discovered Russian CBT materials were rare, and Kyrgyz language CBT materials were non-existent, so I translated my presentation to Russian as best I could and provided a Russian-English vocabulary list for all participants in advance to make the information as accessible as possible to people with English as a second language." Robin’s workshops encouraged participants to reflect on the landscape of mental health treatment and explore solutions for the limited resources available, all of whom reported an increased confidence in coping with anxiety symptoms.
“When I participated in NSLI-Y and CLS, I never would have guessed I would end up using Russian as a medical professional,” Robin reflected. “My language knowledge has allowed me to help in a way I didn't expect--to share evidence-based interventions with people who might not normally have access to them. I'm excited to continue sharing my knowledge and learning from therapists in other parts of the world.”
In February 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Robin's unique skills and experiences became critical in her role as a behavioral health disaster responder. She provided support to over 200 Ukrainian and other exchange students located in the U.S., drawing on her cultural and linguistic expertise to offer effective and compassionate care. Robin then joined a team of researchers and clinicians from the University of Washington, University of Maryland, and Seattle University on a two-week humanitarian mission to Poland. As the only master’s-level clinician on a team of six professors and researchers, she led efforts to translate over 1,000 pages of mental health materials into Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish within three weeks.
These materials were used to train over 500 teachers, volunteers, and displaced people in Warsaw and Lublin. When several of her team members became ill with COVID-19, Robin stepped in to train the Warsaw Public School District administrators, ensuring continuity of care and support.
At the same time, Robin extended her efforts to Moldova, where she trained NSLI-Y exchange students, and to Central Asia, where she hosted the first FLEX mental health conference, attended by 72 participants. Her leadership in these initiatives reflected her dedication to supporting the mental health needs of those affected by the war in Ukraine.
Robin’s volunteer work with Safe Passage 4 Ukraine further demonstrated her commitment to humanitarian causes. Through this organization, she helped Ukrainians escape from conflict zones and facilitated their safe travel to other countries. In addition, she focused on developing therapeutic curricula for returned foreign Legionnaires fleeing Ukraine, ensuring they had access to the mental health support they needed during this tumultuous time.
“The connections I made, cultural knowledge I gained, and language skills I practiced through NSLI-Y, the CLS Program, and FLEX recruiting are what has made it possible for me to be a behavioral health first responder to the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Robin shared.
Robin’s work did not go unnoticed. In 2023, Robin was invited to participate in the NSLI-Y Alumni Leadership Workshop. There, she presented her mental health work in Ukraine to staff from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). This presentation, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, showcased Robin’s leadership and dedication to making a positive impact. Her humility and tenacity were evident as she shared her experiences and the vital role her ECA-sponsored programs played in enabling her to contribute meaningfully to humanitarian efforts.
Throughout her professional journey, Robin has remained dedicated to supporting individuals impacted by the war in Ukraine. She continues to provide therapy and training to humanitarian organizations, as well as direct clinical care to military and medical personnel serving in Ukraine. She also offers ongoing support to Ukrainian FLEX and Palestinian Youth Exchange and Study (YES) students. Robin is excited to keep improving her Russian this winter through CLS Refresh, an initiative to support CLS alumni to continue to develop their language skills.
Robin's experiences with American Councils provided her with the expertise to deliver culturally nuanced care to FLEX and NSLI-Y students, as well as to patients from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She frequently speaks Russian with her patients and has incorporated cultural practices like serving tea at her sessions.
Robin currently works as a pediatric mental health therapist at The Bellevue Center for CBT and DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), a clinic she co-founded, where she treats children, teens, and young adults facing mental health challenges. Robin hopes to create an exchange program for therapists to expose more mental health professionals with multicultural perspectives. American Councils is honored to recognize Robin’s work and dedication through the 50 Alumni for 50 Years initiative.
About the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program
The U.S. Department of State's Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a summer language program for American undergraduate and graduate students. The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an immersive summer opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages essential to America's engagement with the world. Each summer, the CLS Program administers intensive study abroad institutes in a dozen critical languages around the world. The CLS Program, through its CLS Spark initiative, provides beginner-level virtual instruction for Arabic, Chinese and Russian. The CLS Program is administered by American Councils for International Education.
About the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Program
The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y), a program of the U.S. Department of State's Educational and Affairs, provides critical language study opportunities to American youth through merit-based scholarships to spark a lifetime interest in critical foreign languages and cultures. Scholarships are available for students to study Arabic, Indonesian, Chinese (Mandarin, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, and Turkish. Visit the NSLI-Y website for further detail.