On May 23, the "Mental Health 360" project (hereinafter referred to as "360 Project") of CCACC Health Center under the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center, Inc. (CCACC) was invited to participate in the 2023 Annual Meeting of American Psychiatric Association APA). In the 90-minute session, Psychiatrist Shao Xiaoping (Chair of the 360 project), Yao-Yao Zhu (physician), and Huixing Lu (Clinic Director, Clinical Social Worker), introduced the 360 project to the audience. The team also presented the integrated service model, which combines medical services-psychological counseling, and social services, to break the stigma and provide access to mental health services.
360 project provides individual and family psychotherapy and psychiatric medication management services to those who experience emotional distress and life challenges. Our service team includes psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, physicians, psychologists, psychological counselors, and trainee psychological counseling apprentices, etc.
During the pandemic, the 360 project provides special services that integrate of physical and mental health services. Among them, the "Integrated Chronic Care Management (ICCM)" project serves patients who suffer from multiple chronic diseases (such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic pain, etc.) and suffer from emotional distress. Our medical team will work with patients to set medical goals (such as lowering the glycemic index in diabetic patients). Members of the clinic's medical team will regularly follow up with patients, and work with them to find ways to solve the difficulties in life, cheer them up, and encourage them to work hard to achieve the goal of disease control. The project started in 2019, and 80 clinic patients participated in the ICCM project. 78% of the patients' chronic diseases were well controlled.
The "Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives (PEARLs)" was born in response to the epidemic. During the epidemic, many elderly people were isolated at home and had no way to communicate with the outside world through the Internet. The PEARLs program serves the socially isolated elderly with mild depression. Our trained consultants (mostly master students or graduates of medical and health majors) visit the elderly regularly to solve their problems and provide care and companionship. At present, 18 elderly people living alone have received services. After 19 weeks of service, 17 people in the project got rid of emotional distress in the later stage of the project.
The “Village Program” project serves Caregiver – caregivers who are caring for family members with special illnesses at home (such as the elderly with dementia and children with autism). Under this project, in addition to regular free workshops (Building Better Caregivers, BBC), we also provide monthly support groups for caregivers, allowing everyone to share experiences and encourage each other. This Summer, the Village Program, together with the Special Education Institute of the University of Maryland, the Special Education Equal Development Society of the Chinese Parents Association of Montgomery County, and community special education professionals, will provide social skills building summer camp to 20 children, aged 5-14 with special needs in the CCACC Academy.
Please visit our clips to learn more about the program https://youtu.be/iGy7NaYInaQ。