(Cleveland, Ohio) Asian Services in Action (ASIA) is partnering with MidTown Cleveland, Cuyahoga Problem Gambling Coalition, and Recovery Resources to host—Bridging Conversations: Mental Health Open Forum for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) living in Cleveland. The open forum will take place at Midtown Collaboration Center on Saturday, April 19th at 11:00AM.
This event is spearheaded by ASIA’s Behavioral Health social work intern, Rachel Hong, who is a first-year master's student at Case Western Reserve University. the event takes place during National Minority Health Month, which spans the month of April and seeks to, “raise awareness about the importance of improving the health of racial and ethnic minority communities and reducing health disparities,” according to the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities. ASIA hopes this forum is a safe space to create dialogue. It will implement a strength-based perspective about the behavioral health needs of the AANHPI community in Cleveland, in the hopes of empowering people by highlighting their strengths and resources to develop paths forward.
"The open forum is a space where community members are the drivers of change,” said Rachel Hong. “Our lived experiences and backgrounds frame the conversations we have around mental health, so we need to engage in dialogue together to know how to move forward."
Bridging Conversations will include a presentation, mindfulness activities, pair interviews, lunch, small and large group discussions, and a gratitude activity. Participants will engage in discussions that raise consciousness about participants’ personal experiences with behavioral health, individual and community strengths, and their desires for their community. The responses collected during this session will also inform organizations such as ASIA’s International Community Health Center on future programming to reduce stigma and better access to behavioral health treatment.
“In AsiaTown, we carry generations of strength, resilience, and silence,” said Feiran Yang, AsiaTown community organizer. “This forum is our space to speak, to listen, and to heal — together. Mental health is not just personal, it’s community care.”
The open forum is free for the public to attend. It will take place at Midtown Collaboration Center (Address: 6539 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44103) on Saturday, April 19th, 11:00AM-2:00PM. Interested participants can RSVP here.
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ASIA is the largest health and human services agency that serves, supports, and advocates for the Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) community of Northeast Ohio. ASIA focuses on providing linguistically and culturally centered services for immigrants and refugees.
MEDIA CONTACT: Anna Chen
EMAIL: achen@asiaohio.org
PHONE: (330) 459-1173
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