Hyunsung Oh

Dr. Hyunsung Oh is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. His research focuses on barriers to behavioral health services and primary care services among underserved groups, with particular attention to people living with serious mental illnesses and populations facing linguistic barriers while seeking behavioral health care. He also investigates psychosocial mechanisms to understand varying responses to artificial intelligence (AI) large language models (LLMs) among behavioral health providers and social workers. His scholarship aims to leverage individual, organizational, and policy factors, as well as AI LLMs, to address unequal access to adequate and timely behavioral health services.

Dr. Oh's broader research program seeks to improve behavioral health systems and strengthen community-based care through innovative, solution-focused approaches, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic when he worked with community health workers to rapidly fill gaps in the delivery of COVID-19 testing and vaccination services for Spanish-speaking Arizonans. He has conducted studies on mental health service utilization, quality of care, social capital, psychiatric medication attitudes, and community mental health policy in both the United States and South Korea. His work frequently incorporates community-engaged research methods and partnerships with behavioral health organizations, school systems, and community stakeholders to translate research findings into practice and policy improvements.

A recent project led by Dr. Oh promotes the practice-oriented adoption of AI LLMs in social work education and practice. Through mixed-methods research, he investigates how social workers, educators, students, and behavioral health providers navigate the opportunities and ethical challenges associated with emerging AI technologies. His recent work has identified psychosocial factors influencing AI adoption, including professional identity, ethical concerns, and organizational culture, while informing the development of evidence-based guidelines and workforce training strategies for responsible AI use.

Recognizing the potential of emerging technologies to address longstanding information and workforce challenges, Dr. Oh has expanded his expertise into full-stack software development and applied AI. He developed CareConnectAZ (www.careconnectaz.com), an online platform designed to improve access to behavioral health and social service information for individuals, families, providers, and community organizations. This work reflects his commitment to leveraging technology to strengthen service coordination, increase access to care, and support data-informed decision-making in under-resourced systems. In addition, another IT service product he developed, ASUFindPracticum, demonstrates the future of social work education by showing how social workers can leverage AI LLMs to develop technology solutions that address the persistent shortage of technological innovation within the social work profession.

As an educator, Dr. Oh is committed to preparing the next generation of social workers to thrive in an increasingly data-driven and technology-enabled practice environment. He teaches quantitative reasoning, research methods, and data-informed practice while integrating tools such as Excel, Power BI, generative AI, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems into social work education. His goal is to equip students with the analytical, technological, and ethical competencies needed to advance social justice and improve behavioral health outcomes.

Beyond the university, Dr. Oh actively contributes to community-engaged initiatives that promote cultural responsiveness, behavioral health innovation, and workforce development. His work is grounded in the belief that responsible use of technology, rigorous research, and strong community partnerships can help create more equitable, accessible, and effective social and behavioral health systems.