Suicide Prevention and Intervention for Asian American & Asian Immigrant (AAAI) Youth (Webinar Series)

Webinar 1: Trends and Unseen Risks in AAAI Youth Suicide

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Date & Time: Tuesday, December 16, 2025
12- 1:30PM PT
Location: Zoom

Registration is FREE & LIVE now. [REGISTER HERE]

About

Suicide remains the number one leading cause of death among AAPI adolescents ages 13-18, with suicide rates continuing to increase since 2014. Despite this, AAPI youth have reported the lowest mental health service utilization. This webinar is the first in a 3-part series that will focus on culturally responsive prevention and intervention strategies for suicide among Asian American and Asian Immigrant (AAAI) youth. In this webinar, we will provide an overview of epidemiology data on suicidal ideation and suicide among AAAI youth, along with the newest research findings on suicide risk factors among AAAI adolescents in California. We will also discuss systematic and cultural barriers for AAAI youth to receive high-quality care and showcase successful community efforts for advancing suicide prevention for this population.

Learning Objectives

As a result of attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe at least two dynamics of domestic violence that are common among AAAI families.

  2. Explain at least two effects of experiencing/witnessing domestic violence on the physical and/or mental well-being of AAAI individuals. 

  3. Identify at least two common challenges in serving domestic violence survivors from the AAAI community. 

Moderator:

Cruz Chan, M.A., LMFT, RDT
Clinical Manager, Healing for Asians at Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc. (RAMS), San Francisco

A Cantonese and Mandarin-speaking clinician, Cruz graduated from California Institute of Integral Studies (San Francisco), with a Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Drama Therapy.  In Cruz's new role as Clinical Manager, Cruz will be further developing the RAMS Healing for Asians program which provides trauma informed mental health services to limited English speaking Asian victims of crime. This RAMS program is part of San Francisco’s multi-system, initial answer and collaborative solution to the “Anti-Asian Hate”. Cruz is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist as well as a Registered Drama Therapist. Cruz's background also includes providing mental health services to children, youth, families and adults at RAMS outpatient and school-based programs. Prior to clinical work, Cruz has also participated in many drama performances and was a radio host and producer in Macau. Currently, Cruz is actively receiving training in psychodrama under the guidelines of the American Board of Examiner of Psychodrama, Group Psychotherapy and Sociometry (ABE), and presented in the 2020 North American Drama Therapy Association Conference.

Speakers:

Prajakta Telang, DV Advocate
Community Liaison Advocate, Narika

Prajakta Telang is a law graduate from Mumbai University, India and has worked in the family law sector in India as well. She did her paralegal certification and advanced paralegal certification from UCSC, CA. She has been associated with Narika since last year, when she did the Domestic Violence Advocate Training (DVAT) with them and joined as a volunteer. She recently joined the Narika team as the Community Liaison Advocate.

Shirley Luo, MA
Resource Center Program Manager, API-GBV

Shirley Luo is the Program Manager for the culturally-specific Resource Center at the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence. She is responsible for developing and executing strategy related to API-GBV’s public awareness, resource development, and capacity building initiatives. In this role, she also delivers TA and training to diverse audiences on a variety of topics related to gender-based violence, culturally-specific advocacy, and AAPI experiences; and she engages the API-GBV’s national network of AAPI direct service agencies, state coalitions, TA providers, and other partners to deepen collaboration and nurture connections. Shirley received an M.A. in International Relations from NYU’s Department of Politics and a B.A. in History and Political Science from UC Berkeley. She has been with API-GBV since late-2016, and through its work on the national and community level, she has become a strong believer in the power of partnerships in creating safer, equitable, and joyful communities.