Join us at NAMIWalks!

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization working at the national, state, & local levels to raise awareness and provide essential and free education, advocacy and support group programs. Every year, the local NAMI affiliates in the Bay Area work together to create the AnnualNAMIWalk SF Bay Area to raise awareness for mental illness and raise funds to underwrite and support much-needed free local programs.

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

RAMS is pleased to participate in the Annual NAMIWalk SF Bay Area on Saturday, May 31, 2014 to show support and raise awareness about mental health issues.  Check out the 2014 NAMIWalk SF Bay Area page for more details about this event!

Please see www.namiwalks.org for more information about this great cause.

Mental Health Awareness in May

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

To view the  press releases 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

A Day With Adam Phillips

RAMS was honored to present renowned author & psychoanalyst Adam Phillips in San Francisco on March 15.  Here is a video excerpt from that day, in which the esteemed author is interviewed by RAMS staff member Dr. Loong Kwok.

A Day with Adam Phillips

March 15, 2014

9:30 am to 4:30 pm

UCSF Mission Bay, Genentech Hall, Byers Auditorium

600 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94158

RAMS Co-Presenting at CAAMFest 2014

RAMS will be co-presenting a feature film at the CAAMFest 2014, held by the Center for Asian American Media.

Kyle and Jen, estranged siblings, travel from New York City to rural Pennsylvania to pack up the home of their recently deceased mother. While there, they make a discovery that turns their world upside-down.

From writer-director J.P. Chan, his full-length feature film debut A PICTURE OF YOU is a poignant narrative of moving out and moving on.  Two estranged siblings — Kyle (Andrew Pang) and Jen (Jo Mei) — attempt to reconcile their differences over a weekend packing up their late mom’s lakehouse. Eschewing familiar sibling tropes, Chan’s film balances personal filial piety with modern guilt.  The result is a thoughtful meditation of life, death and the infallible bonds that keep us together.  (Christian Ting, CAAMFest)

RAMS will be co-presenting the showing on Wednesday, March 19th , at 6:40pm at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, 1881 Post Street.

A Picture Of You is described by J.P. Chan as "a serious movie about life that gets sideswiped in the supermarket parking lot by a funny movie about death. It’s a story about family, loss, secrets, letting go, and starting anew."  For more details, visit the film's website http://www.apoyfilm.com/ as well as their kickstarter page

We hope you join us at the CAAMFest 2014 for this highly anticipated film! Also, please check out the CAAMFest 2014 website to see the whole lineup of cinema, food, and music events!