{"id":13473,"date":"2017-05-17T12:12:51","date_gmt":"2017-05-17T12:12:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.nnlm.gov\/ner\/?p=13473"},"modified":"2017-06-06T13:46:50","modified_gmt":"2017-06-06T13:46:50","slug":"webs-of-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.nnlm.gov\/region_7\/2017\/05\/17\/webs-of-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"Webs of Hope"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cYou are the Spinners of Webs of Hope\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eighth Annual Asian American Mental Health Forum
\nHiggins Campus Center, Clark University Worcester, MA<\/p>\n

\"Monica

Monica Bharel, MD DPH Commissioner, MA Department of Public Health gives the Afternoon Keynote.<\/p><\/div>\n

On Wednesday, May 10th<\/sup> Clark University in Worcester hosted the Eighth Annual Asian American Mental Health Forum. This year\u2019s forum, in a similar fashion to previous years, was planned and presented by an all-volunteer community. From 9AM to 3PM I was immersed into Massachusetts\u2019s Asian American culture through presentations and discussion forums from Massachusetts\u2019 Asian community leaders, the debut of a new and thought-provoking film Looking for Luke, <\/em>and through Asian artisans sharing their world through poetry, pottery, photography, painting, weaving, sewing, cooking and dance.<\/p>\n

Christina Chan from the Breaking Silences Project<\/a> served as the Master of Ceremonies and opened up the forum introducing local and state leaders who each shared their perspective on the need to end the current stigma that is attached to mental health, This stigma is especially prevalent in the Asian American population.<\/p>\n

In the first session of the forum, the presenters from the Boston University School of Social Work, Mass General Hospital and Newton-Wellesley Hospital underscored the need for suicide prevention across the life span through honest communication and giving as much attention to mental health as is given to physical health. The morning ended with narratives from community stakeholders such as the Southeast Coalition of Central Massachusetts, and a few members of the Burmese community presenting the community perspectives of suicide and its prevention.<\/p>\n

After a delicious lunch prepared by local Asian chefs from around the Worcester area, participants were asked to choose to attend one of the five workshops offered. The workshops were:<\/p>\n