NAAPIMHA and 80+ organizations to celebrate 3rd AANHPI Mental Health Day

Media Contact:

Krystle Canare

krystle@naapimha.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1, 2023

NAAPIMHA and 80+ organizations celebrate 3rd Annual Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Mental Health Day to Raise Awareness of

Mental Health of AANHPI Communities

On May 10, 2023, NAAPIMHA, cities, elected officials, community organizations and businesses are commemorating the third annual National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Day, a national day to raise awareness around mental health in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA & NHPI) communities.

National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Day takes place at the intersection of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. This provides a unique opportunity to not only raise awareness around our diverse heritages and mental health, it gives us a chance to talk about how the two are directly related. It is important to continue addressing the many mental health challenges facing AA & NHPIs, but NAAPIMHA invites you to also join us in celebrating who we are as this TOO is mental health.

The national resolution stands on the shoulders of mental health advocates at RAMS, Inc. in San Francisco who spearheaded the first statewide proclamation making May 10th Asian and Pacific American Mental Health Day in California in 2010. This year, the resolution will be introduced yet again in the House of Representative and a Senate companion will be introduced for the first time this year. At the state and local level, AA & NHPI mental health advocates and organizations from 31 states and cities have submitted proclamation requests. NAAPIMHA will be joined by over 80+ community partner organizations to center and support AA and NHPI mental health in communities nationwide.

According to data collected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), AA & NHPIs have the lowest help-seeking rate of any racial/ethnic group, with only 25.4% of AANHPI adults with a mental illness receiving treatment in 2021 (NSDUH, 2021). And, even though suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, it is the leading cause of death for AA & NHPI youth ages 10-24 (CDC, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these problems as increased racial violence and discrimination against the Asian American community has increased the need for mental health services.

We believe it’s crucial that we continue to advance conversations around mental health in the AA & NHPI community to improve the quality of care for AA & NHPI communities. From mental health stigma reduction, historical discrimination, current racial violence, data disaggregation, language access, workforce development, culturally competent services, to supporting existing AA & NHPI community-driven resources and non-dominant ways of healing, we call upon Federal, State, and local health agencies to adopt laws, policies, and guidance to improve help-seeking rates for mental health services for AANHPIs and other communities of color.

Join us in celebrating AANHPI Mental Health Day. Take the pledge to celebrate, sign-up as a community partner, and invite your friends at: https://www.naapimha.org/aanhpimentalhealthday

National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Day and local proclamation and programming efforts would not be possible without the countless AA & NHPI mental health advocates and community partners listed below:

National Resolution

• Michelle Tabajonda & Nisha Ramachandran, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

State Proclamation Requests

• Arizona - Lan Hoang, Arizona AANHPI for Health Equity

• Arkansas - Joshua Ang Price, Arkansas United

• California - Kavoos Bassiri, RAMS, Inc (est. 2011)

• Colorado - Rachele Espiritu, Change Matrix (est. 2021)

• Florida - Sheenly Moreno, National Alliance to Nurture the Aged and the Youth (NANAY) & Agnes Lopez, Filipino Young Leaders Program

• Georgia - Kaila Tang, Asian Mental Health Collective

• Hawaii - Chachie Abara, Filipino Mental Health Initiative of Hawaii

• Illinois - Joie Cabrera, AAPI Amplified & Abbey Eusebio, Chinese American Service League

• Indiana - Sweta Murthy, Miss City Parks Bloomington

• Louisiana - Jessica Melendez Bayuga, Philippine American Woman Association of Louisiana & Roni Dacula, Gata PH

• Maryland - Lashley Austria & Krystle Canare, NAAPIMHA

• Massachusetts - Heidi Lee, Certified Peer Specialist, NAAPIEN

• Michigan - Emily Paras, Filipino American Student Association at University of Michigan

• Minnesota - Alyx Ang, NAMI Youth Advisory Board

• Missouri - Janna Anonuevo Langhoz, Philippine Village Walking Tour

• Montana - April Werle, Filipino American Artist & Muralist

• New Jersey - Jamille Nagtalon-Ramos, Filipino Young Leaders Program

• New York - Michelle Garcia, Thriving Asians

• Ohio - Stacey Diane Litam, SDAL Consultation and Educational Services, LLC

• Oregon - Emily Wang, Oregon Health Authority

• South Dakota - Ayesha Meer, Asian Mental Health Collective

• Tennessee - joseph gutierrez, API Middle Tennessee

• Texas - Sweta Murthy, Miss City Parks/Bloomington

• Utah - Ta’anu Ahhing, Samoan Club at University of Utah

• Virginia - Melody Agbisit, Virginia Advisory Board

• Washington - Avis Heansberger, Hub International & Victor Loo, iStyle4Life

City/County Proclamation Requests

• Boston, Massachusetts - Heidi Lee, Certified Peer Specialist, NAAPIEN

• Denver, Colorado - Rachele Espiritu, Change Matrix (est. 2021)

• Dallas, Texas - Sweta Murthy, Miss City Parks/Bloomington

• District of Columbia - Gregory Cendana, Can’t Stop! Won’t Stop! Consulting

• Houston, Texas - Rogene Calvert, Asian American Health Coalition (AAHC)/HOPE Clinic

• Little Rock, Arkansas - Joshua Ang Price, Arkansas United

• Monroe County, Indiana - Sweta Murthy, Miss City Parks/Bloomington

• Pulaski County, Arkansas - Joshua Ang Price, Arkansas United

• Fontana, California - Carrie Zhang, Asian Mental Health Project

• San Francisco, California - Kavoos Bassiri, RAMS, Inc (est. 2011)

• Santa Clara County, California - Nira Singh, AACI

Community Champions

• AAPI Amplified

• AAPI Equity Alliance

• AAPI Democratic Caucus Nevada

• AAPI Montclair

• AAPI Youth Rising

• ACE NextGen

• API Middle Tennessee

• Arizona AANHPI for Health Equity

• Arkansas United

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC

• Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI)

• Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA)

• Asian Counseling Referral Services (ACRS)

• Asian Girls Ignite

• Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio

• Borrowed Hope Apparel Co

• Can't Stop! Won't Stop! Consulting

• Can't Stop! Won't Stop! Education Fund

• Change Matrix

• CO+Hoots Coworking

• College of San Mateo

• Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL)

• Healing Nature Collective

• Indigo Cultural Center

• LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)

• LES, Live Every Second

• Mabuhay, Inc

• Monsoon Asians & Pacific Islander in Solidarity

• National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse

• National Organization of API Ending Sexual Violence

• OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates

• OT Bay Area, DisruptOT

• Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc. (RAMS)

• Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus

• Sakura Foundation

• Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)

• Samoan Club at University of Utah

• Samoan Community Development Center

• SEIU Virginia 512

• South Asian Public Health Association

• Taiwanese American Citizenship League

• The Asian American Foundation

• The Cambodian Family Community Center

• Thriving Asians

• VietLead
  

Community Partners

• Act To Change

• American Art Therapy Association

• Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

• Amplify, Inc

• Anise Health

• Asian American Health Coalition (AAHC) & HOPE Clinic

• Asian Health Coalition

• Asian Mental Health Collective

• Asian Mental Health Project

• Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association

• Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholars

• Asian Pacific Islander Initiative

• Asian Youth Act

• Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations

• Center for Innovation in Mental Health, City University of New York's Graduate School of Public Health

• Crisis Text Line

• Empowering Pacific Islander Communities

• Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)

• Filipino Mental Health Initiative Hawaii

• Japanese American Citizens League

• Miss Dallas / Park Cities Scholarship Organization

• Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

• NANAY

• Nectar

• National Council for Mental Wellbeing

• Office of Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy

• Philippine Nurses Association of Metropolitan DC

• SEWA-AIFW

• Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)

• Teach For America

• THE AAKOMA PROJECT

• The Fresno Center

• The Steve Fund

• Unburden Me

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