Fresno County Department of

Behavioral Health

Asian Pacific Islander Program

Zer Yang

SWRK 180

26 October 2011

Funding

• California taxpayer dollars• The MHSA stipulates that the California State Dept.

of Mental Health (DMH) will contract with county mental health departments to develop and manage the implementation of its provisions.

• Asian Pacific Islander Program funded through Mental Health Services Act via Fresno County Dept. of Behavioral Health

API Mission Statement

• Over 300 professionals and staff, divided into several divisions, sensitive to cultural differences, and dedicated to providing quality mental health & substance abuse services to the adult residents of Fresno County

Social Justice, Social Work Values, & Human Rights

• The API Program adheres to strict Federal/State/County guidelines:

*Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA)

* Consumers Rights

*Protected Health Information (PHI) Emails

*Fresno County PP&G

API Organizational Structure• Mental Health Director

*Patients Rights Advocacy & Mental Health Board also play influential role

• Deputy Director• Breaks into 2 branches: Administrative & Clinical Services• Adult Outpatient System of Care (falls under the branch of Clinical Services)• Asian Pacific Islander (API) Team• Dr. Vang Leng Mouanouatoua is the Clinical Supervisor• One part-time Psychiatrist: Dr. Chu• 2 MSW Clinicians: Doan Truong & Pao Vang• 4 Community Mental Health Specialists: Pajhoua, Vang, Leann, & Ashili• One Office Assistant: Richarda Eng

API Services• Assessment/Evaluation of Functioning• Individual/Group/Family Therapy Services• Individual/Group/Family Rehabilitation Services• Individual Plan Development• Linkage & Consultation Services• Placement Services• Overall Consumer Support

Service Population

• Fresno County residents of Asian descent (Hmong, Cambodian, Lao, Vietnamese, Mein, and other Asians) who have psychiatric disabilities

• Services provided in the office, consumers’ homes, & various locations in the community

Service Population Cont.

• API has bilingual staff who speak Hmong, Lao, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Burmese, Filipino

• API also utilizes interpreters & language line

Cooperation, Coordination, & Collaboration

• API works with other agencies in the Fresno community to develop mutually complementary plans for consumers:

*CalWORKs Program/Dept. of Employment and Temporary Assistance*Heritage West Adult Day Health Care Center *Dept. of Children and Family Services*Fresno Adult School*Fresno Center for New American, Inc.

Significance of API Program

• There is an emphasis on the programmatic services being delivered by the API staff who represent the variety of ethnic backgrounds

• API is also culturally attuned to the differences and similarities between the cultural groups and society at large

• A strong emphasis on services to the consumer in their home and community, which is essential because of the impact the acculturation process has on consumers’ symptoms and recovery

Significance of API Program cont.

• The Asian Pacific Islander Program provides culturally appropriate mental health therapeutic and case management services to consumers of Asian descent who either lived through their war experiences and the acculturation process, or they reside with family who are still suffering the long term results of the war experience and struggling with acculturation in the U.S.