We are pleased to introduce the “Mental Health & Substance Use Resource Guide for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Communities.” We hope this web-based resource, which was developed in collaboration with national AAPI organizations and community health centers, will provide you with easy access to existing resources on AAPI mental health and substance Use.

Background
Over the past several years, AAPCHO has through its Promoting Access To Healthcare (PATH) program, focused not only on raising awareness about mental health issues affecting AAPI communities, but on solutions that address these issues. Since 1999, AAPCHO has convened meetings/conferences that allow participants to discuss mental health issues and share resources, and developed resources for individuals/organizations that serve the mental health needs of AAPIs. This Resource Guide is another way in which AAPCHO is ensuring that organizations serving AAPIs are not only aware of the mental health resources that are available, but that they have easy access to these materials.

Acknowledgements
This resource guide was made possible with funding from the Office of Minority Health and support from SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services. We acknowledge the following individuals and organizations for their support and guidance on this project:

  • DJ Ida, National Asian American and Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAPIMHA)
  • Ford Kuramoto, National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse (NAPAFASA)
  • Ho Tran, Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)
  • Doua Thor, Southeast Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
  • Huy Bui, National Association of Vietnamese American Service Agencies (NAVASA)
  • Cha Lee, Hmong National Development Inc. (HND)
  • Juliet Choi, Asian American Justice Center
  • Larke Huang, American Institute of Research
  • Emily Ihara, the Office of Congressman Mike Honda
  • Teddy Chen, Charles B. Wang Community Health Center in New York
  • Albert Yeung, South Cove Community Health Center in Boston
  • Steve Maxwell, Community-University Health Care Center in Minneapolis.

Documents on Culturally Competent Care

This section includes useful mental health/substance use-related documents issued by the federal government, as well as AAPI-specific resources that promote culturally competent mental health care and services.

Federal Documents and Resources

  • President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health Report. Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America. 2003 — In February 2001, President George W. Bush launched the New Freedom Initiative and created the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health to evaluate the mental health service delivery system. By Executive Order 13263, the Commission was tasked with identifying the problems and gaps in the current system, and recommending improvements.
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institute of Health, National Institute of Mental Health. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. 1999 — This 1999 document is the Surgeon General’s first-ever report on mental health and mental illness. The Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health advances the important fact that mental health is fundamental to an individual’s overall health.
  • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Information on Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency (Executive Order 13166) click here.
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act — The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. This website provides information on federal civil rights laws, and links to agencies responsible for implementing the act.
  • Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Mental Health Information Center — The National Mental Health Information Center was developed for users of mental health services and their families, and the general public. The site also includes information on federal, state, and local organizations dedicated to treating and preventing mental illness, material on federal grants, conferences, and other events.

Other Documents & Resources

  • Institute of Medicine. Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. 2003 — This document examines how racial and ethnic disparities in treatment may arise in health care systems, and analyzes patients and provider attitudes, expectations and behaviors that may contribute to such disparities. It also offers recommendations for eradicating disparities including language access, community-based care and cross-cultural education within the health professionals.
  • Addictive Behaviors — This document addresses the prevalence of addictive disorders such as gambling and alcohol and drug use among Asian Americans.
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