Shykina Brown, PsyD

Shykina Brown, PsyD is a licensed clinical psychologist and Program Director of the Yale Behavioral Health Juvenile Justice Mental Health Program. She also serves as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine. In her current role, Dr. Brown oversees mental health services and staff across multiple juvenile justice sites in Connecticut, including residential centers and community-based programs.

Dr. Brown brings extensive experience working with justice-involved youth, having trained in the Yale Department of Psychiatry with a specialization in the Law and Psychiatry Division. Her clinical expertise includes trauma-informed care, collaborative discharge planning, and treatment for individuals with serious mental illness and complex needs. She is also experienced in forensic psychological assessment, including competency, presentencing, and risk evaluations—particularly for Spanish-speaking clients.

As a first-generation Hispanic American, Dr. Brown is deeply committed to culturally responsive care. She has served bilingual communities as a clinician and continues to advocate for linguistically and culturally meaningful services. Her research and training efforts focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), with particular attention to the mental health needs of youth of color and building a diverse workforce in correctional mental health.