The Department of Psychiatry and the Southeast Asian Program at Hall Mercer joined forces and provided community outreach activities in response to the “Speak Up for Kids” campaign during National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (May 6-12).
Dr. Jenny Yu and Ingrid Chung from the Southeast Asian Program at Hall Mercer
“Speak Up for Kids” is an annual global initiative that connects mental health professionals with parents and teachers in their communities. On May 6 and 8, Jenny Yu, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist along with Ingrid Chung, LPC, a therapist from the Southeast Asian Program, reached out to the Chinese community where families often lack awareness and/or feel stigmatized about mental illnesses, which often prevent many parents from seeking treatment for kids who are suffering and in need of intervention.
Dr. Yu and Ingrid gave two separate talks in Chinese (Mandarin), first in a Chinese church in Chinatown, followed by at a primary care center in South Philadelphia. They presented the discussion, “How to help Immigrant Families Raise Their Children with Healthy Bodies and Sound Minds.”
”This specific topic was not a random choice,” said Dr. Yu. “It was proposed by both a youth leader in Chinese community, Mr. Harry Leong, and Dr. Philip Siu, a tireless leader in promoting health in Asian populations. It was devised to address specific challenges unique to Asian immigrant families.”
