Addressing Asian Children's Health (AACH) - The Midwest Asian Health Association (MAHA) is pleased to request funding from SAMHSA to implement a project entitled: Addressing Asian Children’s Health (AACH), targeting the Asian immigrant children and caregivers in Chicago. The overall aim is to improve healthy development of young Asian immigrant children by promoting mental health awareness and enhancing access to culturally competent and linguistically appropriate mental health and substance use screenings, assessments, treatment and early intervention services to 500 individuals throughout the five-year project and 100 individuals per year. Children of foreign-born Asian families are at greater risk for poor physical and mental health, due to countless barriers to culturally and linguistically appropriate health care, such as limited English proficiency, cultural mental health stigma, “The Model Minority Myth” and the inability to navigate the health care system, all of which are worsened by the fear of violence from anti-Asian hate. Lack of bilingual mental health resources for early intervention also contributes to low mental health service utilization among Asian immigrant parents and children. MAHA is a non-profit community-based organization with more than 10 years of experience providing culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services to the target population in Chicago. MAHA is the only state licensed Community Mental Health Center and Substance Abuse Treatment Center in the south side of Chicago serving Asian immigrant populations. MAHA is also the only CARF accredited Asian mental health center serving Asian adults, adolescents, and children, The proposal has five goals developed with measurable objectives as described below: Goal 1. Improve community mental health awareness through disseminating a culturally/linguistically competent public awareness campaign. Objectives 1a-1b: Ongoing and by 8/31/2024, collaborate with 25 CBOs and community partners using culturally informed outreach approaches to promote the mental health awareness for the hard-to-reach populations in Chicago. Goal 2. Increase community collaboration to enhance access to holistic services for immigrant children and caregivers in Chicago, regardless of ability to pay. Objectives 2a-2c: Ongoing and by 8/31/24: establish a Young Child Wellness Council (YCWC) with 10% parent/caregivers; link 90% Medicaid eligible clients or Medicaid enrollment; link 100% clients who need primary or specialty care to partner providers. Goal 3. Increase healthy child development/wellness through provider/parent trainings. Objectives 3a-3c: By 3/15/24, develop a training plan for YCWC, parents, providers/caregivers on evidence-based and trauma informed mental health child development. 90% of staff and council members will receive two culturally/linguistically appropriate trainings. Goal 4. Increase screening, assessment, treatment for mental health and substance use concerns among Asian immigrant children (birth to 8) and their parents/caregivers Objectives 4a-4d: By 8/31/2024, assess 150 children & caregivers; create treatment plans for 100% children/caregivers with emotional, social, cognitive or behavioral distress; offer treatment planning to 100% of children/caregivers in care; assess impact via satisfaction surveys, improvement in functioning and knowledge. Goal 5. Improve program quality and impact by developing a data collection/evaluation plan Objectives 5a-5c: By 12/30/23, and ongoing, evaluate program using SAMHSA data tools; Submit SPARS reports on disparity reduction; disseminate outcomes to YCWC and public.
