May 10 - APA Mental Health Day Co-Hosted by RAMS & APIMHC

In honor of May 10 - Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day and May being Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, RAMS proudly partnered with its Asian Pacific Islander Mental Health Collaborative (APIMHC) to host a community celebration at the SF County Fair Building. APIMHC is a collaborative partnership between RAMS and six community-based organizations: Samoan Community Development Center, Filipino-American Development Foundation/Bayanihan Community Center, Vietnamese Youth Development Center, Cambodian Community Development, Inc., Lao Seri Association, and Vietnamese Family Services Center. The purpose of this event was to celebrate mental wellness and increase awareness of balanced mental and physical health in the context of cultures. The event was made possible with great thanks by Kaiser Permanente and the San Francisco Federal Credit Union.

This year’s event was held on Wednesday, May 10th from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the San Francisco County Fair Building, located at 1199 9th Ave, SF, CA. The celebration featured cultural wellness activities and healing practices, along with demonstrations, including Cambodian Dance, Shaio Lin Style Kung Fu, Hot Siva (Samoan), Drumming Circle, and Vietnamese Hat Dancing. Information & resources and food of the different cultural communities were also provided.

About Mental Health Conditions:

• About one in five Americans in a given year are impacted by mental health conditions regardless of gender, age, race, religion and socioeconomic status. (NIMH)
• Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders appear to have extremely low utilization of mental health services relative to other U.S. populations. (NAMI) This may be due to the substantial stigma that exists and cultural & linguistic isolation of the community, family and individual.
• The economic cost of untreated mental illness is more than 100 billion dollars each year in the United States. Without treatment the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society are staggering: unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, and suicide. (NAMI)
• Treatments for mental health conditions today are highly effective and individuals who receive treatment have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life.

Many factors contribute to mental health concerns such as biological, life experiences (e.g. trauma, immigration, housing instability), and family history of mental health conditions. When someone starts to experience the early warning signs of mental illness, knowing the risks factors and symptoms will help. Often times, family and friends are the first to support a person through these early stages. Asking for help is never a sign of weakness and wellness & recovery is always possible.

 

 

Link to our Facebook Post here

 



APIMHC offering FREE Mental Health First Aid Training - April 17 & 18, 2017

The Asian & Pacific Islander Mental Health Collaborative (APIMHC) is pleased to offer a two-day Mental Health First Aid Training facilitated by Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Trainer Joyce Diloy. The two-day training will be held in the Auditorium at the Samoan Community Development Center - 2055 Sunnydale Avenue, San Francisco. The training starts promptly at 10 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. each day.

Who to attend:

• APIMHC Community Partners and staff
• FMHI-SF workgroup members
• SEAMHI workgroup members
• SWI workgroup members
• Interested Community members

Space is LIMITED.

 RSVP by Thursday, April 13, 2017 to Anila Pillai at anilapillai@ramsinc.org

Refreshments/snacks will be provided. Please bring a notepad and pen for note-taking.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact:

Natalie T. Ah Soon, MPH

Project Coordinator
Asian & Pacific Islander Mental Health Collaborative
(415) 668-5998 ext. 22
natalieahsoon@ramsinc.org

Mental Health First Aid training in Tagalog and English on October 26

RAMS' Asian & Pacific Islander Mental Health Collaborative is pleased to announce that its community collaborator, San Francisco Filipino Mental Health Initiative, will be continuing and offering another Mental Health First Aid course in Tagalog and English.
 
When a mental health crisis happens, people are often wondering what to do and generally unable to detect early signs of mental health issues. Mental Health First Aid training addresses these questions and offers participants with the knowledge & skills to recognize warning signs, how to assess a mental health crisis, and how to act during the crisis situation.  The course will train seniors, caregivers, and community members.  The training is FREE, sponsored by RAMS and funded by Mental Health Services Act through Community Behavioral Health Services-San Francisco Department of Public Health.

When: Sunday, October 26, 2014, 9:00am to 5:00pm 
Where: Bayanihan Center, 1010 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Lunch and light snacks will be provided.
For more information, and if you are interested in this training, please contact Joyce Vives-Diloy, MSW, Filipino Cultural & Language Specialist at the San Francisco Filipino Mental Health Initiative, at: sfofmhi@gmail.com

Space is limited, please RSVP to sfofmhi@gmail.com by October 20 to reserve your spot.

According to the National Council on Behavioral Health:

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID?  Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health concerns, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments. The course uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis; select interventions and provide initial help; and connect persons to professional, peer and social supports as well as self-help resources. Mental Health First Aid allows for early detection and intervention by teaching participants about the signs and symptoms of specific illnesses like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and addictions. The program offers concrete tools and answers key questions like “What can I do?” and “Where can someone find help?” Participants are introduced to local mental health resources, national organizations, support groups, and online tools for mental health and addictions treatment and support. 

WHY MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID?  One in five Americans has a mental illness and many are reluctant to seek help or might not know where to turn for care. The symptoms of mental illness can be difficult to detect — even when friends and family of someone who appears to be developing a mental illness can tell that something is amiss, they may not know how to intervene or direct the person to proper treatment – which means that all too often, those in need of mental health services do not get them until it is too late. As a society, we largely remain ignorant about the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses, and we ignore our role as responsible community members to help people experiencing these illnesses. 

To view the flyers below, right-click and select any option to "Open"

Mental Health First Aid in Tagalog and English

RAMS' Asian & Pacific Islander Mental Health Collaborative is pleased to announce that its community collaborator, San Francisco Filipino Mental Health Initiative, will be offering a Mental Health First Aid course in Tagalog and English. When a mental health crisis happens, people are often wondering what to do and generally unable to detect early signs of mental health issues. Mental Health First Aid training addresses these questions and offers participants with the knowledge & skills to recognize warning signs, how to assess a mental health crisis, and how to act during the crisis situation. During the month of May, SF Filipino Mental Health Initiative is offering FREE Mental Health First Aid courses, sponsored by RAMS and funded by Mental Health Services Act through Community Behavioral Health Services-San Francisco Department of Public Health. The course will train seniors, caregivers, and community members.

For more information, and if you are interested in this training, please contact Joyce Vives-Diloy, MSW at: sfofmhi@gmail.com

According to the National Council on Behavioral Health:

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID?
Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health concerns, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments. The course uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis; select interventions and provide initial help; and connect persons to professional, peer and social supports as well as self-help resources. Mental Health First Aid allows for early detection and intervention by teaching participants about the signs and symptoms of specific illnesses like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and addictions. The program offers concrete tools and answers key questions like “What can I do?” and “Where can someone find help?” Participants are introduced to local mental health resources, national organizations, support groups, and online tools for mental health and addictions treatment and support.

WHY MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID?
One in five Americans has a mental illness and many are reluctant to seek help or might not know where to turn for care. The symptoms of mental illness can be difficult to detect — even when friends and family of someone who appears to be developing a mental illness can tell that something is amiss, they may not know how to intervene or direct the person to proper treatment – which means that all too often, those in need of mental health services do not get them until it is too late. As a society, we largely remain ignorant about the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses, and we ignore our role as responsible community members to help people experiencing these illnesses.

To view the flyers below, right-click and select any option to "Open"

 

 

Inaugural Filipino Mental Health Symposium

The Filipino Mental Health Initiative of San Francisco and San Mateo County, and student organizations and staff at San Francisco University, together, are pleased to present the Inaugural Filipino Mental Health Symposium, “Kwentuhan: Sharing Our Stories”, on Friday April 11, in Jack Adams Hall at San Francisco State University.

Students, educators, community members, and health providers interested in promoting mental wellness within the Filipino and Filipino American community will find the symposium useful. Stories, discussions, and performances have been carefully selected to provide opportunities for the larger community to learn more about issues related to Filipino American children, families, and adults.

Our theme “Kwentuhan: Sharing Our Stories” emphasizes the historical importance of story telling within Filipino culture and its potential for expanding our awareness around mental wellness. Through sharing our stories and the resources provided at the symposium, we hope to empower, dispel stigmas around mental health, and provide a place for others to meet people who are serving the Filipino and Filipino American communities.

We hope you and your community members will join us, as we come together for this powerful event.
To attend, register by clicking HERE or visiting the registration site http://tiny.cc/fmhs
Lunch and refreshments will be provided. This is a FREE event!

To view the flyer, right-click and select any option to "Open"

 

 SPECIAL THANKS TO: CHI RHO OMICRON, ACTIVE MINDS, COUNSELING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES CENTER-SFSU, THE BIG 6, AND CONGRESSWOMAN JACKIE SPEIER.

If you have any questions please contact Judith at judith@bayanihancc.org.

This activity is sponsored by RAMS Asian & Pacific Islander Mental Health Collaborative in partnership with the Filipino Mental Health Initiative - SF. Funded by Mental Health Services Act, San Francisco Department of Public Health - Community Behavioral Health Services.

API Mental Health Collaborative is abuzz with events

Today's post is written by RAMS Asian & Pacific Islander Mental Health Collaborative Coordinator Natalie Ah Soon, MPH, providing information and updates about the APIMHC program's mental health promotion events and activities. 
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APIMHC’s Community Collaborators springs into the season with a beehive of community mental health promotion events and activities:

On April 4, 2014, Samoan Wellness Initiative will start a Fale Lalaga (Weaving House) of wellness through the O Lo’u Leo (My Voice) Series. In conjunction with Journey to Empowerment, four digital stories produced by Pacific Islanders about issues that impact their mental health will be featured individually, followed by a guided discussion and dialogue co-facilitated by experienced facilitators and community members/providers. Mental health providers will be on-site to provide support.  Activities will be geared towards Pacific Islanders, and particularly the Samoan community.
Contact: Nani Wilson – naniwilson@hotmail.com

On April 6, 2014, Southeast Asian Mental Health Initiative will host a cultural event to celebrate the Cambodian and Laotian New Year. Outreach, engagement, and education activities include monk blessings, BACI, cultural performances, sharing of traditional food and practices of wellness, sharing of resources (among others).  Cambodians, Laotians, providers, and community members are invited to attend.
Contact: Chanthol Oung - chanthol.ccdi@gmail.com

On April 11, 2014,  the Filipino Mental Health Initiative-SF, a community collaborator of RAMS’ Asian and Pacific Islander Mental Health Collaborative Project, will offer the Inaugural Filipino Mental Health Symposium titled Engaging and Educating through KWENTUHAN: Sharing Our Stories. Students, educators, community members, and health providers interested in promoting mental wellness within the Filipino and Filipino American community will find the symposium useful. A line-up of carefully selected mental health-related stories, discussions, and performances about Filipino Americans will provide opportunities for the larger community to learn more about issues that impact Filipino-American children, families, and adults. Through KWENTUHAN: Sharing Our Stories and the resources provided at the symposium, it is hoped that awareness of mental wellness will expand through empowerment with information sharing and exchange, dispelling the stigma of mental health, and providing a place for community members and providers to meet individuals that serve the Filipino-American community in the San Francisco Bay Area.  The event will be held on Friday, April 11, 2014, 9am-3pm in the Jack Adams Hall at San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway, San Francisco, CA 94132.
Registration is REQUIRED for this FREE event! Register at: http://tiny.cc/fmhs by Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Contacts: Judith or Joyce at joyce@bayanihancc.org OR 415-348-8042

Introducing the Asian & Pacific Islander Mental Health Collaborative

RAMS gallops into the Year of the Horse with a brand NEW project: Asian & Pacific Islander Mental Health Collaborative!

The project is RAMS’ inaugural venture into community health promotion programs. Through RAMS’ collaborative partnership with the Samoan Community Development Center, Filipino-American Development Foundation/Bayanihan Community Center, and Vietnamese Youth Development Center, our goal is to reduce the stigma of mental health among Samoans, Filipinos, and Southeast Asians (Cambodian, Laotian, & Vietnamese) in San Francisco by delivering culturally and linguistically competent mental health prevention and early intervention activities across the lifespan in community settings.

Check out our website page HERE for more details.

Image credit: artwork by Ryan Gucayane, designed for CRDP, API-SPW