The Asian-American community is faced with a mental health crisis. According to recent statistics, it was found that Asian American women have the highest suicide rate among women over age 65 as well as the second highest among women 15 to 24, and that nearly one out of two Asian-Americans will have difficulty accessing mental health treatment because they cannot find services that meet their linguistic needs.

The Bay Area is home to many diverse Asian-American communities, and we are fortunate to have many skilled mental health practitioners who are bi-lingual and/or bi-cultural. Unfortunately, locating these linguistically and culturally competent practitioners has been challenging due to the lack of a centralized directory.

In light of these facts, the Chinese-American Mental Health Network is undertaking a project to help the Asian-American communities of the Bay Area gain access to the culturally and linguistically competent mental health services they need. We are currently developing an on-line and printed directory of agencies, hospitals, and private-practice professionals who provide services to the Asian-American populations in the Bay Area.

Once the directory is complete, an individual can easily log on and search for mental health services that fit their needs. The directory will be searchable according to the individual’s language of choice, bay area region, and type of services requested. Additionally, for individuals without web access, a printed directory of all practitioners will be available by request from the Chinese American Mental Health Network.

Thanks to the generosity of several donors and the hard work of dedicated volunteers, both the on-line and printed directories will be made available free of charge to consumers and mental health professionals for referrals and resource information. It is our hope that this directory will promote better access to mental health services by the Asian communities, and put a stop to needless suffering and tragedy.