Mental Health + AAPI Heritage Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States during the month of May, recognizing the incredible ways that Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans have contributed and influenced the culture, history, and achievements of the United States. California has a significant and diverse AAPI population. “AAPIs are the fastest-growing racial/ethnic group in the U.S. and an immensely diverse group of people in terms of income, ethnicity, migration status, and education.”
Why Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month?
As readers may be aware, the AAPI community was subject to a rise in hate crimes with the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The most effective response to harmful rhetoric and attacks against the AAPI community is for our government and industry to collaborate in promoting a diverse, inclusive environment that is reflected in the policies we implement, our workforces, and our communities at large. We must also understand the power of our actions and words in creating a safe, diverse, and inclusive community.”
Why inclusion and diversity are important to us
Mental health is health, and we believe this to be true for all ethnic backgrounds. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are among our core business values at the Mental Health Center. The Mental Health Center firmly believes that these values contribute to what makes a healthcare setting and patient care truly great.
“My unique background helps me as a psychiatrist to connect with people from different cultural backgrounds. Korean culture emphasizes sincerity, loyalty, and showing respect for elders and family. These emphases extend to the physician-patient relationship in my practice. I choose geriatric psychiatry as my subspecialty because it emphasizes quality time with patients more than any other subspecialty.”
— Jooyeon Lee, M.D.
Further, diversity, equity, and inclusion have become key indicators to identify which organizations are considered employers of choice. Our human resources strategy ensures that we prioritize DEI initiatives and policies. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “Effective DEI practices start at the top, with business leaders looking within themselves as well as at each facet of their organizational structure to identify and address biases, reshape policies and implement meaningful practices.” Similar to other small business owners, we are “facilitating open and honest communication, rethinking recruitment, developing partnerships and implementing anti-bias training programs.”
Honoring our staff
We are honored to celebrate our very own staff members who are part of the AAPI community, not only in May but every day.
Approximately 25% of our staff at the Mental Health Center identify as part of the AAPI community. Members of our clinical team that identify as AAPI include Dr. D.S. Adnan Majid, MD, PhD,. and Dr. Jooyeon Lee. MD. Dr. Majid specializes in the treatment of mood disorders. He shared that he is “ethnically Bengali,” noting that he loves “the poetry” in his culture.
Dr. Lee identifies as Korean-American and is a culturally competent provider. Dr. Lee is one of our stellar psychiatrists, specializing in geriatric psychiatry. She shared that she was “born and raised in Seoul, Korea, and went to school in various areas in the U.S., Canada, and U.K. since the age of 14. My unique background helps me as a psychiatrist to connect with people from different cultural backgrounds. Korean culture emphasizes sincerity, loyalty, and showing respect for elders and family. These emphases extend to the physician-patient relationship in my practice. I choose geriatric psychiatry as my subspecialty because it emphasizes quality time with patients more than any other subspecialty.”
We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all areas of our group practice. Mika Verner is our Medical Assistant and Training Coordinator, consistently providing essential and quality assistance to our patients. Mika identifies as Nisei, second-generation Japanese. When asked what she cherishes about her Japanese identity, Mika described that she appreciates the “long-standing history and traditions” that she knows have been practiced for generations.
DEI: A business leader looks within herself to lead others
Ms. Janel Te’o is the Chief Operating Officer at Mental Health Center: Cedars-Sinai East Tower, conducting crucial, strategic work for our practice. Janel is Polynesian – originally from Hawaii and is of Native Hawaiian, Sāmoan, and Chinese heritage. She cherishes her mixed heritage and applies her cultural knowledge to the business environment routinely. “Teamwork definitely makes the dream work. We honor our differences and see strength in diversity. Soft skills are tantamount to work experience and traditional business school education. I am grateful for a quality education and decades of solid mentors and work experience. However, I attribute a lot of my leadership skills, operational successes, and smart solutions to the modern application of native intelligence and cultural values that have helped me to hoʻomau (persevere) and guide our team through the rough waters of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these cultural values include aloha (care, compassion, love), pono (fairness), lōkahi (unity), ‘oluʻolu (being agreeable), haʻahaʻa (humility), and mālama (to care for) ourselves, our family, our communities, and our environment.”
“I attribute a lot of my leadership skills, operational successes, and smart solutions to the modern application of native intelligence and cultural values that have helped me to hoʻomau (persevere) and guide our team through the rough waters of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these cultural values include aloha (care, compassion, love), pono (fairness), lōkahi (unity), ‘oluʻolu (being agreeable), haʻahaʻa (humility), and mālama (care for) ourselves, our family, our communities, and our environment.”
— Janel Teʻo, COO
Janel added, “I spend a lot of my time and talents supporting AAPI groups that serve a need in the community, such as Nonosina Polynesia. The arts are my self-care routine, especially music and Tahitian drumming, which is very good at helping me balance my stress levels, and improve my mental health. I hope that mental health treatment continues to be de-stigmatized in the AAPI community. We each need to do our part to raise awareness and hold space for mental health, self-care, and wellness.”
We are grateful for these wonderful and valued members of our team!
Resources
Asian Pacific Heritage – pays tribute to generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history; provides educational and cultural resources.
References
Forstadt, A. (2021). Six Small Business Owners on Diversity, equity and inclusion. US Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://www.uschamber.com/co/good-company/growth-studio/small-business-owners-discuss-diversity-equity-inclusion
Ramachandran, V. (2021). Asian Americans are the fastest growing group in the U.S., report finds. PBS. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/asian-americans-are-the-fastest-growing-group-in-the-u-s-report-finds
Wong, Michaela (2021). TechWonk blog – A reflection on AAPI Heritage Month and how to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion for AAPI community members202. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://www.itic.org/news-events/techwonk-blog/a-reflection-on-aapi-heritage-month-and-how-to-promote-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-for-aapi-community-members