About the Lotus Project

The Lotus Project is a Center for Asian American & Asian Immigrant (AAAI) Child Trauma-Informed Care & Prevention that provides technical assistance, training, and resources to mental health service providers, community health workers, school staff, and other professionals who work with AAAI children and families affected by traumatic events and stress. Funded by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Lotus Project is a collaboration between the Public Health Institute (PHI) and Richmond Area Multi-Services (RAMS), based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

About the Workshop

Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are one of the fastest-growing communities in the Greater Boston area and account for about 10% of the total population. A significant proportion of the AAPI population are first- and second-generation immigrants, who have suffered various types of traumas before and after migration. However, mental health needs among AAAIs have been under-reported and under-treated due to assessment biases, cultural stigma, and a lack of culturally responsive services and systems of care. In addition, Asian Americans in Boston are almost 3 times more likely to live in poverty than their Caucasian counterparts and more likely to live in households with limited English language capacity (e.g., 32% Vietnamese and 30% Chinese families), making it both financially and linguistically difficult for them to access quality care. 

The current workshop will invite mental health service providers, researchers, community-based organizations, and AAAI community members to discuss trends and insights for trauma-informed care and prevention for AAAIs in the Greater Boston area. Building on the Lotus Project’s past experience of hosting five workshops on trauma-informed care for AAAI children and families (e.g., Afghan communities in Sacramento, AAAI communities in the San Francisco Bay area and metropolitan Washington DC area, and AANHPI communities in Honolulu), we will center AAAI children and women to address age-specific mental health challenges among youth and the unique mental health concerns experienced by AAAI women and other subgroups. This workshop also aims to cultivate collaborations among local AAAI-focused agencies and mental health professionals and to foster advocacy efforts to create more resources and opportunities for trauma-informed care and prevention for this population.

Workshop Goals

• To destigmatize mental health issues in AAAI communities through understanding the lived experiences of AAAI individuals and address community needs;

• To showcase community-based and culturally competent practices, programs, and rituals that enhance community bonding, pride, mutual support, and physical and mental health;

• To highlight research findings on trauma-informed care for AAAIs and how they could inform clinical practices;

• To discuss strategies to strengthen the collaboration among AAAI-serving mental health professionals, community members and consumers, researchers, and government officials to enhance trauma-informed care and prevention for AAAIs;

• To amplify advocacy activities that prioritize the urgent mental health needs of AAAI communities at local and national levels;

• To connect attendees to resources of SAMHSA’s National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN).

Featured Topics

• Lived Experience Panel

• Trends in Culturally Responsive Care for AAAI Children and Families

• Addressing Trauma-informed Care and Healing Through a Gender Lens (AAAI women-focused)

Collaborations

In collaboration with Dr. Hyeouk Chris Hahm, the School of Social Work at Boston University and Dr. Pata Suyemoto, the National Asian American and Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA), the Lotus Project aims to work closely with local mental health providers, researchers, and AAAI-serving organizations to implement this workshop.