In honor of Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day and May
being Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
and
Mental Health Awareness Month, on
May 10, RAMS is proudly partnering with
Self-Help for the Elderly to hold two
mental health awareness events focusing on outreach efforts to older
adults.
Held at Self-Help for the
Elderly sites, RAMS will facilitate interactive and engaging activities
focusing on ways to maintain balanced mental and physical health.
May is established nationally as Asian Pacific American
Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, and Older Americans Month.
Established by the State of California, the City
& County of San Francisco, and the City of Austin (TX),
Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day on
May 10 recognizes
the importance of raising awareness about mental health and promoting mental
wellness in the Asian Pacific American community.
The establishment of Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day was an effort spearheaded by RAMS and overwhelmingly
supported by many major associations and community coalitions.
Since May is already established nationally
as the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
and as Mental Health Awareness Month, institution of this day in the
month of May more closely aligns both awareness efforts.
There are been increasing recent studies and reports on the
ongoing struggle of older adults and mental health issues. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to
Prevent Suicide reports that amongst elderly women of all ethnic or racial
groups, Asians have the highest suicide rate.
However, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have the lowest rates of
utilization of mental health services among ethnic populations. This may be due to the substantial stigma
that exists, the great need to increase the workforce of culturally competent
providers, lack of culturally responsive outreach/services, and the cultural
& linguistic isolation of the community, family, and individual. Many people believe that mental disorders are
rare and “happen to someone else" however one in four adults are impacted
by mental illness in the United States every year. Many factors contribute to mental health
concerns such as biological, life experiences (e.g. trauma), and family history
of mental health conditions. It is
important that each person is aware of some of the warning signs and ways to
support and help.
Additionally, during the month of May, RAMS is pleased to be
engaged in a series of mental health outreach activities:
- RAMS is participating in &
presenting at an Asian American Pacific Islander Behavioral Health Forum
which is being held at the White House, sponsored by The Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration and The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
- Contributing an article
about mental health awareness to the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, Voices Spring 2014
Newsletter
- Led by journalist Ms.
Katherine Kam, RAMS is contributing towards a WebMD article on mental
health issues and Asian American families & youth
- RAMS is sponsoring the Mental Health First Aid courses in
Tagalog and English, which is being offered by its community collaborator,
San Francisco Filipino Mental Health Initiative
- RAMS is participating in
the 2014 NAMIWalk Bay Area to raise awareness about mental health, support
those affected by a mental health condition, and reduce mental illness
stigma
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