Be the One that Makes a Difference

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

The Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI) of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (MCDHHS) developed the Be the One that Makes a Difference mental health project to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in the Asian American community. According to national statistics, Asian American women ages 15-24 and 65 and older have the highest suicide rates among women across all racial and ethnic groups. This was just one of the factors that convinced AAHI there was a need for this project. AAHI created two educational products, a photonovel and a video, each translated into Chinese, Hindi, Korean and Vietnamese (based on the Asian American population in Montgomery County). They also coordinated a Mental Health First Aid training, a nationally-certified, evidence-based course designed to equip participants with the skills to recognize mental illness and to assist an individual who might be in crisis. After completion of the course, AAHI asked all 26 participants to educate at least 30 community members on mental health. This is only the second year of Be the One that Makes a Difference and AAHI has already begun to bridge the gap between mental health and the Asian American community.