APCC receives grant for Mental Health Services for AANHPI Communities

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, AANHPIs are the least likely racial or ethnic group to get mental health services. (Only 23.3% of AAPI adults with a mental illness received treatment in 2019.) Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also reveals that AAPI adults are about three times less likely to seek help than their white counterparts.

There are unique challenges regarding mental health for our AANHPI communities that are causing a lack of mental healthcare access, utilization, education, and lack of culturally sensitive approaches to addressing issues specific to AANHPI populations. Asia Pacific Cultural Center as a trusted messenger and hub of information and resources for our communities has been seeking resources to provide culturally relevant programming to address mental health and wellbeing for our communities.

In July 2022, Asia Pacific Cultural Center was awarded a grant from Pierce County Human Services Behavioral Health Program to address mental health care access and utilization for our AANHPI communities. Our goal is to educate and destigmatize what is mental health and mental health treatment and also address financial barriers to accessing mental health care.

There are two pillars to our programming: Mental Health Community Education Workshops and providing vouchers to access mental health treatment. We have partnered with AANHPI-identifying mental health professionals who will conduct these workshops and provide therapy sessions.

A sneak peeks at the topics that will be covered at our mental health community education workshops includes: What is therapy?, Navigating Cultural Stigmas about Mental Health, Knowing Feelings/Expressing yourself, and more! Please keep a look out for our workshop schedule in future newsletters!

If you are interested in mental health services and in participating in the upcoming workshops, please rsvp here: Click here to register.

You can also call APCC at 253-383-3900 from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm or call 253-590-7457 for emergency help after hours.