Asian American Health Initiative July 2016 Newsletter

July 2016

Volume 7, Issue 1

Greetings!

As Fiscal Year 2016 (FY2016) draws to a close, AAHI would like to take this moment to look back and reflect on our achievements and to look forward to what still needs to be accomplished. We thank you for your continuous support and we extend our deepest appreciation to our Steering Committee, Health Promoters, community partners, and volunteers for their collective impact on the health of the community.

AAHI recognizes that much still needs to be done to achieve health equity. We will continue working towards eliminating health disparities and to build a healthy community in Fiscal Year 2017!

Remember to keep up with the latest news at AAHI by following us on social media! You can find us on AAHI's blog, Facebook, and Twitter!

FY2016: July1, 2015 - June 30, 2016

For more information about AAHI's fiscal year accomplishments, stay tuned for our upcoming FY2016 Annual Report!

ECHO Workshop Recap:

Basics of Program Evaluation

On May 18, AAHI, partnered with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (MCDHHS) African American Health Program (AAHP), Latino Health Initiative (LHI), and Community Action Agency (CAA) for our eleventh Empowering Community Health Organizations (ECHO) Workshop - Basics of Program Evaluation .

This workshop was led by Dr. Olivia Carter-Pokras, P rofessor of Epidemiology at the University of Maryland, who gave a presentation on the value of program evaluation, how to develop an evaluation plan, and the tools available to conduct evaluations. Attendees were able to practice what they learned by developing evaluation plans for fictional programs during a small group activity.

Group photo of staff and Dr. Carter-Pokras.

In addition to the workshop, AAHI celebrated our 10-year milestone during the evening. To commemorate the occasion, AAHI received a note of congratulations from the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Furthermore, Uma Ahluwalia, Director of MCDHHS, provided a few remarks on AAHI's achievements over the last decade. The AAHI Steering Committee members also received a proclamation from the Montgomery County Executive, Ike Leggett, recognizing their service and dedication over the past 10 years.

In total, 80 individuals representing over 35 organizations from the community attended the workshop. Thank you to our speaker, attendees, small group activity facilitators, Steering Committee, Health Promoters, and staff for making this a successful evening. We look forward to seeing you in our fall ECHO Workshop!

Photos from the workshop are available on our blog. Please click here for the workshop summary (8.6MB). You

can also watch the short video played at the beginning of the workshop featuring different community organizations in Montgomery County discussing their experience with program evaluation.

Participants at our ECHO Workshop.

Catch Up On Our Mental Health Projects!

In Fiscal Year 2015, AAHI launched a new initiative focusing on mental health with the goal of reducing mental health stigma in the Asian American community. Since then, we have continued building our mental health projects and have seen considerable growth. The following are some highlights from our mental health efforts in Fiscal Year 2016.

In celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month and Mental Health Month observed in May, AAHI visited the Muslim Community Center Medical Clinic and Pan-Asian Volunteer Health Clinic to present our multilingual mental health videos and, subsequently, raise awareness and educate the Asian American community about mental health. A total of 55 people were assisted and photonovels were also distributed.

Our Behavioral Health Program Coordinator explaining Montgomery County resources available to patients at the Pan-Asian Volunteer Health Clinic

On May 14, 2016, AAHI hosted our second Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training at the Islamic Center of Maryland. Mental Health First Aid is a national curriculum-based certification training that teaches one how to help people developing a mental illness or in a crisis. In total, there were 11 attendees who became certified in Mental Health First Aid. Facilitators for the training were provided by the Mental Health Association of Montgomery County.

Attendees at the Mental Health First Aid training.

In addition, AAHI has received the outcomes from the educational commitment completed by attendees at the February 20th MHFA training hosted by AAHI. Through their cumulative efforts, 309 individuals were educated about mental health, with 83 of these individuals encouraged to seek professional mental health care. A total of 257 photonovels in various languages were distributed to guide these conversations.

A huge thank you to community leaders, the AAHI Steering Committee, Patient Navigators, and the Mental Health Association of Montgomery County for your support and participation!

Last but not least, AAHI is excited to share that the second volume of our photonovel, which will focus on seeking and adhering to mental health care treatment, will be coming soon! We hope the photonovel will become a useful tool that can be used at health fairs, community clinics, and at workshops to destigmatize mental illness and to stress the importance and benefits of receiving mental health care when needed. Don't miss out -- more photonovel updates are on their way!