November activities

RAMS staff were quite active in the community during the month of November!

Program Director of RAMS Asian Family Institute Eddie Chiu, PhD, was a featured presenter at the Problem Gambling Regional Summit in Santa Rosa, held on November 19. This was part of the California Problem Gambling Technical Assistance and Training Project of the National Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse (NAPAFASA) intended for service providers and the general public to "Learn about the issue of problem gambling in California and its impact on individuals, families, and communities; Prevention and intervention methods and resources, including clinical treatment and resources for financial protection; and Current and future directions in problem gambling prevention, treatment, and policies." The two topics which Dr. Chiu spoke about were 1) Assessment and Treatment of Problem Gambling, and 2) Family Centered Problem Gambling Interventions.

RAMS Deputy Chief / Director of Clinical Services Christina Shea, LMFT, was interviewed together with Judy Young, Executive Director of Vietnamese Youth Development Center, for the Cantonese Journal weekly show on KTSF Channel 26. Interviewed by Anni Chung, Executive Director of Self-Help for the Elderly and co-host of the Chinese Journal (Cantonese show), the episode aired on November 20th. Ms. Shea and Ms. Young represented as co-chairs of the Asian & Pacific Islander Health Parity Coalition (APIHPC). They introduced the work and achievements of APIHPC, discussed the goals of APIHPC for 2010-2011 - media campaign on “de-stigmatization” of mental illness and service seeking behaviors, outreach/education of promoting mental health in API community, advising Department of Public Health on culturally competent services for API, and asking the API community for feedback and advice on service delivery - and spoke with the audience about considering the behavioral health helping professions as potential careers.

Photo credit - cbcastro on Flickr

Promoting Equality in Schools

The Wellness Centers program shall be featured in a presentation by RAMS Wellness Centers Behavioral Health Counselor Ulash Dunlap, MS, PPSC, at the 6th World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders. This will be held on November 17-19, 2010 in Washington DC.

The title of Ms. Dunlap’s presentation is “Promoting Equality in Schools: Lessons Learned in Working with Immigrant Youth”. Ulash Dunlap (Behavioral Health Counselor, RAMS, Inc.); Kavoos G. Bassiri (President & CEO RAMS, Inc.); Deborah Bryant (School District Nurse, San Francisco Unified School District - SFUSD); Kristin Chun (Director, Behavioral Health Services/Wellness Centers Program, RAMS, Inc.)

The presentation will explore how RAMS is successfully and collaboratively working on-site at the schools to support the mental health needs of immigrant students vital work which, in turn, helps to promote equality. RAMS provides the integrated behavioral health services component of school services, including mental health & substance abuse treatment. During RAMS tenure, students have been surveyed bi-annually by ETR & Associates (outside evaluator) to assess satisfaction with services. In the most recent survey of all Wellness Centers, results support that, as a result of meeting with a RAMS Counselor, there has been improved psychological well-being & skills around managing school & home life.

How can counselors and school-based mental health professionals serve immigrant youth in culturally appropriate ways? Grounded in both theory and practice in the schools, this presentation focuses on immigration trends, acculturation, stressors, mental health, language needs, health care, and challenges in working with immigrant youth in schools. Through case scenarios and lessons learned by RAMS and Wellness Centers staff, this presentation outlines the practical counseling, and collaborative and community interventions that culturally competent school counselors and mental health professionals may want to consider when working with immigrant youth.

NAMI Listens

Kavoos G. Bassiri, LMFT, CGP, President & CEO of RAMS, was invited to participate in the most recent National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Listening Session, which was a gathering to help NAMI better understand issues affecting the AAPI community and draft recommendations to move forward. The objectives for this meeting was to
- Bring together Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders (consumers, family members and providers) to engage in an open dialogue with NAMI regarding mental health in this community
- Elicit feedback and recommendations for NAMI to successfully engage AAPI communities
- Identify existing resources and opportunities to improve mental health education and supports for AAPI communities


21 people from all over the US with a variety of experiences and perspectives (people living with mental illness, family members, providers, researchers, NAMI and non-NAMI members), were invited & attended this event on November 4th & 5th in Los Angeles.

This Listening Session was organized by the NAMI Multicultural Action Center and facilitated by Jei Africa, PsyD, MSCP, CATC.

Guest Post - Mia Veroy, Program Coordinator

Today's guest post is from Mia Veroy, Program Coordinator at both the RAMS Hire-Ability Vocational Services Employee Development Program as well as the new Peer Specialist Mental Health Certificate program being offered by RAMS and San Francisco State University. Starting on September 14, the Certificate Program's goal is "to prepare consumers and/or family members with the basic skills & knowledge for entry-level employment in the behavioral health system of care and with academic/career planning that supports success in institutions of higher learning".

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It’s finally here…. good things do come to those who wait, or those who pursue and don’t give up on their dreams and passions!

After months of deliberation, preparation and anticipation, RAMS is proud to unveil the Peer Specialist Mental Health Certificate Course. Funded by the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), this groundbreaking 12-week basic counseling program offers participants a targeted and thorough curriculum prepared by collaborators RAMS and San Francisco State University’s Department of Counseling.

In the months leading up to the first class, we received an overwhelming response and support not only from the San Francisco community, but from neighboring counties as well. Various community and business organizations have shown their support and enthusiasm for the program through a variety of ways: Philippine International Aid has generously donated scholarships to students and Straits Restaurant and Metromint have contributed food & beverages. The interest generated during the program’s promotions validates the great need and high demand for peer support in the community. One consumer aptly summarized peer support by saying, “this is the wave of the future”. It has been long coming, but the future is here.

Over 80 applications were received and the Admissions Committee faced the challenging task of selecting individuals for the 20 slots available. In an effort to stay true to the mission, the program is proud to report that there is a diverse group of students from various cultural backgrounds and experiences who represent the wide demographic of San Francisco’s population.

Six sessions into the program, we are awed by the level of enthusiasm, engagement, and commitment of everyone in class. In such a short time, we have witnessed friendships developed, support provided, and cultures shared. We have our work cut out for us and have a long way to go, but if the past few weeks, in any way, reflects the overall direction and future, it most certainly looks very bright!

- Mia

For a link to our webpage, click HERE

Photo credit: Jeezny on Flickr

Thank you Kristina Quinones!

Abstract painter Kristina Quinones was instrumental in organizing a fundraiser event for RAMS last year in which her fellow studio artists donated pieces for auction, with all proceeds going to RAMS.

She currently has a showing titled “As Above, So Below” at Nieto Fine Art, 565 Sutter Street @ Mason Street, through October 29th. She is also one of the artists at SOMA Artists Studios participating in the upcoming Open Studios event on the weekend of October 16-17.

To see more of her work, please check out her website at www.kristinaq.com . You can also click on the picture to your left if you'd like to read the article which recently appeared in ArtSpan magazine.

We'd like to thank her for her continued support for our organization, and urge you to check out her shows!

Meet RAMS - Eddie Chiu, PhD

Dr. Eddie Chiu, Director of RAMS Asian Family Institute, was invited and presented at the 15th International Conference on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma, held in San Diego by the The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT), an international resource and training center at Alliant International University.

The presentation, given on September 11, 2010, was titled "Addiction, Trauma, and a Developmental Process of Treatment and Recovery". Dr. Chiu presented on the topic of Gambling Addiction and Domestic Violence in Asian American Communities.

Click HERE to read coverage from Sing Tao USA newspaper in Chinese

Photo credit: Ravages on Flickr

Guest Post - Yuka Hachiuma, MFTi

Today's guest post is from Yuka Hachiuma, MFTi, Mental Health Counselor at RAMS who also served as the Program Coordinator for the Summer Bridge program. Taking place from June 14 to August 6, Summer Bridge was an 8-week summer mentoring program for San Francisco high school students, designed "to promote awareness of psychological well-being and foster interest in the helping professions".

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Oh, the places you'll go!
"Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to great places.
You're off and away. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go...."

-- Dr. Seuss, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!"

In the final week leading up to the end of Summer Bridge, when I stopped to reflect on the past weeks spent with the Summer Bridge participants, the opening lines of Dr. Seuss's classic children's book popped into my head. The book is about life and its challenges, but is also an optimistic encouragement to the reader to go out and conquer the world.

This story came to mind because the message is very applicable to the first group of Summer Bridge graduates. Many, if not most, of them have already experienced various challenges in their lives. These stories came out in the experiential activities we did and engaging discussions we had as we got to know each other throughout the program. The group worked together to create a safe, respectful space where everyone could be themselves while learning and having fun together. There were definitely times when opinions clashed and feelings were hurt. But, they managed to work through their differences and created deeper relationships as a result. What is most notable about this group is their resilience in the face of these challenges, and their desire to give back to their community in the future. This blend of life experience, psychological insightfulness, and community focus makes them very well-suited to pursue a career in the helping professions. My hope is that the Summer Bridge graduates will use this experience as a launching pad to learn more about themselves, pursue their interests, and create opportunities to make good choices for themselves in their lives.

Spending the summer with this group of amazing youth has been an inspiring experience for me, and it has renewed my passion and commitment to nurturing the next generation of mental health professionals. For that, I have them to thank.

-Yuka