MENTAL HEALTH RALLY

MENTAL HEALTH RALLY

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Rescue Community Care



Where? Thompson Center, plaza in front of building

100 W. Randolph, Chicago, IL 60601



When? NOON



Why? Urge Legislators to Invest in Mental Health Services

because – Recovery Rocks!



Who? Everyone who supports adequate funding for

mental health services



Co-sponsored by:



The Mental Health Summit

NAMI of Greater Chicago – (312) 563-0445

The Mental Health America of Illinois – (312) 368-9070



Recovery Rocks!

New Report Shows Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Have Unique Health Concerns

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Annie Lam

Office (916) 319-2049 Cell (916) 955-6766


April 8, 2009 PR#: COPA09-05


NEW REPORT SHOWS ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS

HAVE UNIQUE HEALTH CONCERNS

SACRAMENTO, Calif – Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) will unveil the “The State of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Health in California” report on Thursday, April 9, 2009 at 10AM. The report was commissioned by Assemblymember Eng and the California Asian Pacific Islander Joint Legislative Caucus to provide a more accurate snapshot of the social context and health status of AANHPI with relation to other racial groups in California.



This report will provide information needed by primary and secondary care providers, for profit and non-profit organizations, school districts, the faith-based community, law enforcement, and state and local governments in order to provide effective health and mental health services to this emerging and diverse population.



Some of key findings detailed in the report are:



* AANHPIs are the only racial group for whom the leading cause of death is cancer.



* Asian American women have nearly double the rate of non-compliance with cervical

cancer screening guidelines as the overall state average.



* AANHPIs account for the largest proportion of all tuberculosis and chronic hepatitis B

cases in California, with the majority of cases among the foreign-born population.



* Samoan children have the largest percentage (54%) of all children in California whose body mass index (BMI) is not within the Healthy Fitness Zone.



* Koreans have the highest uninsured rate (33%) of any racial/ethnic group in the state –

far outpacing the state average of uninsured adults (15%).





WHAT: Release of “The State of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander

Health in California” report.



WHO: Participants include: Asm. Mike Eng, University of California Asian

American and Pacific Islander Multi-Campus Research Program,

California Program on Access to Care, Kaiser Permanente, California

Program on Opportunity and Equality, & health care industry representatives



WHEN: Thursday, April 9, 2009 – 10AM

Online version of report will be available online at 1030AM

http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a49/


WHERE: Chinatown Service Center
767 N. Hill Street, Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90012
CONTACT: Annie Lam: Office (916) 319-2049, Cell (916) 955-6766


###

Save the Date - OCAPICA Ovarian Cancer Forum

Please save the date for two upcoming OCAPICA community events:

Vietnamese Ovarian Cancer Forum presented by Lucy Huynh from 10am-1:00pm at Seafood World, 15351 Brookhurst Street, Suites 101-106, Westminster, CA 92683 on Saturday, May 16, 2009

Thai Ovarian Cancer Forum presented by Nid Tiaprasith from 11:00am-2pm at Meesap Restaurant, 11020 Van Owen Street, North Hollywood, CA, 91605 on Saturday, May 23, 2009.

Please come and support our health team as they share important information on ovarian cancer and provide newly translated materials for outreach and education. These events are sponsored generously by the California Dialogue on Cancer - California Ovarian Cancer Program.

Hope to see you there, if you are able to attend please RSVP to me!

Jackie

Jacqueline H. Tran, MPH
Director, Center of Excellence to Eliminate Disparities (CEED) in Breast and Cervical Cancer among Asian and Pacific Islander Women
Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA)
12900 Garden Grove Blvd., Suite 214A
Garden Grove, CA 92843
Telephone: 714-636-9095
Facsimile: 714-636-8828
Email: jtran@ocapica.org
Website: www.ocapica.org

Filipino Community Health Volunteer Opportunity - Mtg Mar 23

Maligayang Bagong Taon! We hope this email finds you well. The Filipino American Community Health Initiative of Chicago (FACHIC) is a collaborative of community, health professional, and academic leaders united to address Filipino health issues in the Chicago area. The mission of FACHIC is to increase awareness of Filipino health disparities, to engage the community in relevant research, and to implement health interventions and educational programming to improve the health status of the Filipino community.

FACHIC is currently recruiting dynamic, compassionate and dedicated individuals of all backgrounds who would like to contribute to efforts to improve the health of the Chicago area Filipino and Filipino American community. Individuals with expertise and experience in medicine, nursing, public health, social work, education and translation are a plus but anyone interested in contributing to the Filipino community is highly encouraged to attend.

FACHIC will be hosting its second 2009 Volunteer Interest Meeting on Monday, March 23, 2009 at Bucktown-Wicker Park Chicago Public Library, located at 1701 N. Milwaukee Ave, from 7 PM to 8 PM. The Bucktown-Wicker Park Chicago Public Library is accessible by the Damen stop of the blue line; the public library has a small free parking lot.

At the meeting, FACHIC Steering and Advisory Board Members will discuss the mission and vision of the organization and ways you can contribute your skills and talents to improve the health of the Filipino community.

RSVP to the meeting is recommended by email to filamcommunityhealth@gmail.com. Light refreshments will be served.

If you are interested in getting involved with FACHIC but are unable to attend the meeting, please contact us at filamcommunityhealth@gmail.com to be added to our volunteer listserv and to get more details. FACHIC is also on Facebook! Search under "FACHIC" and join "FACHIC: Filipino American Community Health Initiative of Chicago" to join our group!

Please pass on the word and we hope to see you there! Be involved, be active, empower your community!

PIHCP Community Forums - 3/21 & 3/28

TALOFA!, HAFA DAI!, ALOHA!, MALO E LELEI!, BULA!, IA ORA NA!, YOKWE YUK!

Greetings,

You are formally invited to attend a community forum brought to you by The Pacific Islander Health Careers Pipeline (PIHCP) of Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA). The PIHCP is hosting community forums in San Diego and Long Beach. We hope that these community forums are central and easily accessible for the community at large. We plan to disseminate information and inform community members, key stakeholders, and decision makers of both the progress and future plans of the PIHCP program.

Our specific objectives for the community forums are the following:

1. Share key activities and accomplishments over the past year in planning a health careers pipeline program for Pacific Islander youth,

2. Share key findings, results and recommendations from the needs assessment that was conducted to assess the barriers for Pacific Islander youth from going into higher education (focus groups, and key informant interviews),

3. Solicit feedback from the community with regard to future direction of the PIHCP program, and

4. Provide opportunities and resources for partnership, involvement, and support of continued PIHCP efforts.

A community perspective is essential in informing the implementation phase of PIHCP. Please forward this to those in your networks that are interested in impacting the lives of Pacific Islanders through education and health promotion. Thank you for your time. If you have any further inquiries, please feel free to contact me.

TOFA SOIFUA, ESTA AGUPA, ALOHA, NOFO A, NI SA MOCE, E NOHO RA, YOKWE,


Joseph G. Fa’avae

We welcome you, OUR COMMUNITY, to attend one of the Pacific Islander Health Careers Pipeline community forums below…



Saturday, March 21st 2009
SAN DIEGO
Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation
404 Euclid Avenue, Room 401
San Diego, CA 92114
12:00 – 3:00 p.m.
*Light refreshments will be available

Saturday, March 28th 2009
LONG BEACH
California State University, Long Beach
College of Business, Room 140
1250 Bellflower Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90840
12:00-3:00 p.m.
(Park in LOT 17)
*Light refreshments will be available

Beyond Visible Injures: The Link Between Health and Violence Conference

Register now for this exciting conference, co-sponsored by:

Illinois Department of Public Health
Illinois Violence Prevention Authority
UIC's Jane Addams School of Social Work
UIC's College of Nursing, Forensic Nurse Certificate Program
UIC's Interdisciplinary Center for Research on Violence
Polk Brothers Foundation
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois

Carl Bell will deliver the keynote to kick off this conference.

Illinois Center For Violence Prevention 13th Annual Conference
Beyond Visible Injuries: The Link Between Health and Violence

Date: Thursday, April 2, 2009
Place: University of Illinois at Chicago, East Campus
Time: 8am-5pm
Early Registration ends by March 15th!

For more information regarding the conference please call 312-986-9200
or
visit the web site at www.preventingviolence.org

http://www.icvp.org/conference2009.asp

Human Trafficking, HIV/AIDS and the Sex Sector

Human Trafficking, HIV/AIDS and the Sex Sector
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
09:00 AM - 02:30 PM

Human trafficking and forced labor are global human rights abuses. Over the past eight years, the United States has supported some excellent programs but it has also adopted an ideologically-driven approach to the sex sector that has harms women and their families, increases the vulnerability of people in the sex sector to violence and trafficking, prevents health care workers from accessing sex workers and does nothing to prevent trafficking. Sex workers who do not want to be 'saved' are being subjected to violent raids and rescues and some of them are being arrested, abused and deprived of their livelihood. Anyone receiving U.S. funding must sign a pledge never to discuss the benefits of working non-judgmentally and collaboratively with sex workers to stop trafficking, child prostitution and violence. This conference will bring together international and U.S. experts to share experiences and discuss the ways in which the Obama Administration can create a new U.S. policy on human trafficking that is consistent with international human rights standards and grounded in reality.

Presented by the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Students, Alumni, Faculty, Staff & General Public – no charge
(registration is required)

9:00 – 9:15 Welcome
Ann Jordan, Director, Program on Human Trafficking and Forced Labor, Center for Human
Rights and Humanitarian Law
Serra Sippel, Executive Director, Center for Gender Health and Equity


9:15 – 10:30 Anti‐Prostitution Policies and Human Rights
• Human Rights Framework: Serra Sippel
• Legal framework and U.S. policy: Ann Jordan
• Legal challenges to U.S. anti‐prostitution policy: Zoe Hudson, Open Society Institute
Moderator: Martina Vandenberg, Jenner and Block


10:30 – 10:45 Coffee break
• Video: Cambodiaʹs new anti‐trafficking law: Sex Workers speak out


10:45 – 11:30 The Impact of Anti‐Trafficking and Anti‐Prostitution Campaigns on Sex Workers in
Cambodia
• Sara Bradford, Asia Pacific Network of Sex Work Projects
Moderator: Christina Arnold, Executive Director, Prevent Human Trafficking

11:30 – 12:15 Sanghamitra: A Journey Towards Social and Economic Empowerment
• Dr. Shilpa Merchant, Population Services International and the Sanghamitra Project
Moderator: Sneha Barot, Senior Public Policy Associate, Guttmacher Institute


12:15 – 1:00 Lunch
• Video: Taking the Pledge
• Video: Compelled To Act: The Theatre of Sex Workers in Mali


1:00 – 1:45 Danaya So: Bringing Hope to Women and their Families
• Sylvia Mollet, DANAYA SO
Moderator: Pauline Muchina, Ph.D., Senior Partnership Advisor, UNAIDS


1:45 – 2:30 The Government of Brazil and Sex Workers Collaborate to Address HIV/AIDs
• Gabriela Leite, President, Davida
Moderator: TBA

General Registration – no charge, but required.
To register, please go to www.wcl.american.edu/secle/registration
For further information about registration, please contact:
Office of Special Events & Continuing Legal Education,
American University Washington College of Law
202.274.4075 or secle@wcl.american.edu

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cheers,
Christina Arnold
http://preventhumantrafficking.org

Suicide and Asian Americans: Perceptions, Realities, and Community Response

The Asian American Suicide Prevention Initiative (AASPI) invites you to

Suicide and Asian Americans: Perceptions, Realities, and Community Response

WHO should attend:
o College students and community members
o Social service , mental health, and health care providers
o Reporters (print, radio, television and internet media)

WHAT: An opportunity to:
o Understand the challenge of addressing suicide in Asian American communities
o Meet others interested in addressing suicide risk factors
o Join AASPI’s coalition for suicide prevention

WHEN: Saturday, March 21, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: UIC College of Nursing, 845 S. Damen Avenue, Chicago



PARKING:
Some metered parking is available on Taylor.
Nearby paid parking garages are located at Paulina/Taylor or on Taylor/Wood. (~$8)
Paid parking is also available several blocks away at the Cook County Juvenile Court at Roosevelt/Ogden ($2)

Light refreshments will be provided.

Co-Sponsoring Organizations include:

Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE) * Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area * Asian American Institute * Asian American Law Enforcement Association * Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) Chicago Chapter * Asian Chronicle, USA * Asian Giving Circle * Asian Health Coalition of Illinois * Asian Human Services * Cambodian Association of Illinois * Chicago Commission on Human Relations’ Advisory Council on Asian Affairs * Chicago Foundation for Women's Asian American Leadership Council * Chinese American Service League * Chinese Mutual Aid Association * Cook County State’s Attorney’s Asian American Advisory Council * Hamdard Center* Illinois Secretary of State’s Asian American Advisory Council * Japanese American Service Committee * Korean American Community Services * Korean American Resource & Cultural Center * Korean American Women in Need * Leadership Center for Asian Pacific Americans * Loyola University Chicago * Multicultural Youth Project * Northwestern University Asian/Asian American Student Affairs * South Asian Progressive Action Collective (SAPAC) * The University of Chicago Center for Race, Politics and Culture * The University of Chicago Office of Multicultural Affairs * UIC Asian American Resource & Cultural Center * UIC College of Nursing * Yehyang

This event is supported by the generous contributions of the family and friends of AASPI.

To RSVP or to join the planning committee, please contact AASPI:

Soo Na: (312) 580-0310, sna@fryfoundation.org

Aruna Jha, PhD: (630) 730-3642, arunajha@uic.edu

Chicago Filipino Health Volunteer Opportunity - Mtg 2/21 @ 11 AM @ Mercy Family Health Center

Maligayang Bagong Taon! We hope this email finds you well. The
Filipino American Community Health Initiative of Chicago (FACHIC) is a
collaborative of community, health professional, and academic leaders
united to address Filipino health issues in the Chicago area. The
mission of FACHIC is to increase awareness of Filipino health
disparities, to engage the community in relevant research, and to
implement health interventions and educational programming to improve
the health status of the Filipino community.

FACHIC is currently recruiting dynamic, compassionate and dedicated
individuals of all backgrounds who would like to contribute to efforts
to improve the health of the Chicago area Filipino and Filipino
American community. Individuals with expertise and experience in
medicine, nursing, public health, social work, education and
translation are a plus but anyone interested in contributing to the
Filipino community is highly encouraged to attend.

FACHIC will be hosting its second annual Volunteer Interest Meeting on
Saturday, February 21, 2009 from 11 AM to 12 PM at a Mercy Family
Health Center, Main Floor Conference Room, located at 2525 S Michigan
Ave, Chicago, IL. Free parking is available in the main lot located
near the intersection of 26th and Michigan accessible by 26th street.
The front door of Mercy Family Health Center is directly across from
the main lot. Please check in at the security desk. A FACHIC
representative will direct you to the conference room.

At the meeting, FACHIC Steering and Advisory Board Members will
discuss the mission and vision of the organization and ways you can
contribute your skills and talents to improve the health of the
Filipino community.

RSVP to the meeting is recommended by email to
filamcommunityhealth@gmail.com. Light refreshments will be served.

If you are interested in getting involved with FACHIC but are unable
to attend the meeting, please contact us at
filamcommunityhealth@gmail.com to be added to our volunteer listserv
and to get more details. FACHIC is also on Facebook! Search under
"FACHIC" and join "FACHIC: Filipino American Community Health
Initiative of Chicago" to join our group!

Please pass on the word and we hope to see you there! Be involved, be
active, empower your community!

Maraming salamat po,

FACHIC Steering Board

Carmela Estrada
JP Jael
Jane Jih

FACHIC Advisory Board

Carmen Estacio
Mike Mendoza
Dan Vicencio

The Filipino American Community Health Initiative of Chicago (FACHIC)
is a collaborative of community, health professional, and academic
leaders united to address Filipino health issues in the Chicago area.
The mission of FACHIC is to increase awareness of Filipino health
disparities, to engage the community in relevant research, and to
implement health interventions and educational programming to improve
the health status of the Filipino community.

Hepatitis B Policy Fellowship

Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations

Hepatitis B Policy Fellowship

Deadline to Apply: March 2, 2009

For further questions regarding eligibility or the application process, please contact

hepBfellow@aapcho.org or call 510.272.9536 x 103.

Purpose: The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations

(AAPCHO) is establishing a Hepatitis B Policy Fellowship Program in 2009.

In the United States, an estimated 2 million people are living with chronic hepatitis

B, with a disproportionate impact on the Asian American and Pacific Islander

community. It is thought that over 800,000 Asian Americans in total are living with

the disease, comprising more than 40 percent of all cases in the United States.

Recent studies have found that 10 percent of foreign‐born Asian Americans are

chronically infected with hepatitis B.

Approximately 25 percent of people with chronic hepatitis B develop chronic liver

disease, cirrhosis or primary liver cancer – this is unnecessary and unacceptable

chronic hepatitis B is a treatable disease. Many are unaware of their condition

because hepatitis B can progress without noticeable symptoms. Without awareness,

screening and diagnosis, these people are not receiving treatment that could slow

the disease, and may unintentionally be exposing others to the hepatitis B virus. The

lack of routine screening in Asian American communities in the United States is one

of the main reasons why rates of liver cancer are significantly higher in these

communities compared to other ethnic groups.

Program Description: The fellowship is a year‐long program based in Washington

D.C. and will be awarded to a medical, public health, or policy professional who is

interested in strengthening the collaboration between key stakeholders and the

federal government in order to achieve practical solutions for the disparate impact

of hepatitis B on Asian American and Pacific Islanders. Key goals of the fellowship

will be:

1) To facilitate collaboration among grassroots efforts, health organizations and

governmental entities to advance healthcare policy and practices that are designed

to support effective screening, treatment and prevention initiatives for hepatitis B in

the Asian American and Pacific Islander community; and

2) To inform and support efforts by the Congressional Asian Pacific American

Caucus (CAPAC) members and other Congressional members to adopt a policy

platform and legislative agenda that effectively reduces the prevalence of hepatitis B

and increases care and treatment programs in heavily impacted communities.

Eligibility: All applicants are required to meet the following criteria:

♦ Applicants must be a citizen or legal resident of the United States;

♦ Applicants must be at a mid‐career level with at least five years of

management responsibility;

♦ Applicants must have completed a master's degree or doctorate (or the

equivalent thereof) in health services research, clinical services (including

providers), health administration, health law, health policy or a related

discipline such as economics or political science;

♦ Applicants should have demonstrated expertise in health policy issues,

particularly hepatitis B, and track record of informing health policy through

research, policy analysis or clinical leadership

Selection Criteria and Process: Fellows must be able to participate in the program

from March 2009 through March 2010 and reside / relocate to the Washington DC

metropolitan area. Applications should be submitted to AAPCHO and will be

reviewed by a selection committee. Final selection of the fellow will be made in

February 2009.

A prospective fellow must demonstrate professional experience and competence in

hepatitis B advocacy, financing and/or clinical services. Fellows must also

demonstrate significant interest in public policy and activities of the Legislative

branch and exemplify strong interest in applying hepatitis B field knowledge to

crafting and driving targeted policies to reduce the burden of hepatitis B amongst

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Fellows must be able to work in a fast‐paced

environment with minimal supervision, communicate effectively on a wide variety

of topics and be able to work cooperatively with a diverse group of individuals and

organizations.

Application: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications for the 2009

fellowship is March 2, 2009. Applications should be submitted electronically to

AAPCHO at hepBfellow@aapcho.org and should include the following materials:

♦ A resume or curriculum vitae providing information about educational

background, professional employment and activities, professional

publications and presentations, public policy and legislative experience and

committee and advisory group appointments, particularly when related to

hepatitis B;

♦ A statement of no more than 750 words addressing the applicant's interests

in the fellowship, career goals, contributions the applicant believes he or she

can make as a hepatitis B professional to the legislative process and what the

applicant hopes to learn from the experience;

♦ A list of three professional references from the applicant's previous

institution(s) or organization(s) who can comment on the applicant's ability

to work with the CAPAC and other members of U.S. Congress as a special

legislative liaison.

For further questions regarding eligibility or the application process, please contact

hepBfellow@aapcho.org or call 510.272.9536 x 103.

Compensation: The fellowship stipend will be up to $75,000 per year plus benefits,

including health insurance and dental insurance. The stipend will be based upon

years of advanced experience. A portion of the relocation and transportation costs

may be covered.

About AAPCHO

AAPCHO is a national association representing community health organizations

dedicated to promoting advocacy, collaboration and leadership that improves the

health status and access of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

in the United States. Since its inception in 1987, AAPCHO has advocated for policies

and programs that improve the provision of health care services that are community

driven, financially affordable, linguistically accessible, and culturally appropriate. As

a unified voice of its membership, AAPCHO shares its collective knowledge and

experiences with policy makers at the national, state, and local levels.

Victoria Tung | Executive Director | Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus | Congressman Michael M. Honda

1713 Longworth HOB | Washington, D.C. 20515 | (w) 202-225-2631 | (f) 202-225-2699

Night at the MOVIES w/Asian Human Services: Colma-The Musical

The Banyan Tree Project @ Asian Human Services will be hosting
another movie night in the city:

We will be showing

COLMA: The musical

Trailer link: http://www.colmafilm.com/trailer-page.html

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 7:00pm-9:00pm

Bridgeview Bank Building – Uptown

It will be a fun and fantastic night, with a discussion to follow.

*please spread the word and tell your friends, family and colleagues*

ATTACHED IS THE FLYER

Sincerely,

William Baciles Tutol, M.A.

HIV/AIDS Prevention Project Coordinator

Asian Human Services

4753 N. Broadway Suite 700

Chicago, IL 60640

wtutol@ahschicago.org

front desk: 773.293.8430

direct: 773.293.8480

fax: 773.561.1396

Asian American Doctors Gone Wrong on Medicare

This popped up in my inbox today and WHOAAAA, this is really bad. The article states:

The arrest of a Korean-American doctor may lead to a crack down on Medicare fraud, rampant in immigrant communities, reports the Korea Daily. According to the newspaper, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office this week announced the arrest of John S. Han, 61, and his wife Sonya Han, 55. Han, a pain medicine specialist who operates Pain Medical Center in Norwalk, allegedly billed Medicare for more than $10 million in services between 2001 and 2005, but failed to report millions in income, reports the Korea Daily.

How the heck does one get away with this for charging over $10 million dollars on this?!?! I hope they get the justice they deserve. No one is excluded in manipulating the system. The health care system in the U.S. is ALREADY messed up and greedy folks like these only make the system even more broken. Epic fail.

Source

Sign the petition: Tell the CDC to Reverse the HPV Vaccine Requirement for Immigrant Women and Girls!

Please note that the petition deadline has been extended to February 13, 2009. Please circulate this email to your listserves.

Dear Friends:

Please sign the petition to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asking it to reverse the newly imposed Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination mandate for immigrant women and girls. To view and sign the petition, go to http://www.petitiononline.com/napawf/petition.html by COB Friday, February 13, 2009.

In response to the high number of individuals who wished to sign-on to the organizational sign-on letter to the CDC circulated last week, this petition was created to allow individuals to express their opposition to the mandate. The petition will serve as a follow-up to the organizational sign-on letter to the CDC that will be sent next week.

As you may know, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in 2007 recommended that Gardasil, the only FDA approved HPV vaccine, be administered to females ages 11 to 26 in the U.S. This recommendation became an automatic requirement for those applying for immigrant visas or adjustment to permanent residency status when the government updated its vaccination list in July 2008. U.S. citizens are currently not required to receive the vaccination, and yet it is mandatory for prospective immigrants. Although the HPV vaccine has been deemed safe and effective by the FDA, it is not designed to combat the types of infectious diseases that the immigration requirements are intended to address. Moreover, the vaccine is prohibitively expensive-costing a minimum of $360 to receive the three-dose vaccination in addition to over $1,000 in filing fees-making the mandate an undue financial burden for prospective immigrant women and their families.

Please join us in asking the CDC to retract its listing of HPV as a required vaccination for immigrants in the revised Technical Instructions to the Civil Surgeons for Vaccination Requirements, which would eliminate the directive for civil surgeons to administer the vaccine to immigrant females ages 11 to 26.

We urge you to sign on to this petition to put pressure on the CDC to correct this unfair and burdensome requirement on immigrants. To learn more, please contact Nancy Chung at nchung@napawf.org.

The deadline for sign-ons is COB Friday, February 13, 2009.

Nancy K. Chung, Esq.
Reproductive Justice Fellow and Georgetown Women's Law and Public Policy Fellow
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
6930 Carroll Avenue, Ste 506
Takoma Park, MD 20912
o: 301-270-4440
f: 301-270-1882
www.napawf.org

Immediate Job Opening for Vietnamese Maternal Child Health Coordinator (Orange County, CA)

Dear Friends of MOMS: Perhaps you know a Vietnamese bi-lingual, bi-cultural individual who is interested in working with low income Vietnamese speaking mothers and their babies? I would appreciate you sending this e-mail along to your colleagues and friends! The particulars are below:



Maternal Child Health Coordinator: Provides in-home health screenings, individualized prenatal and early parenting education, support, and linkages to community resources for mothers and their babies. Services are designed to promote self care, positive health habits and infant development in a culturally appropriate manner.

* Full time with benefits
* Must be completely bi-lingual in Vietnamese and English
* Bachelor’s Degree in a Health Related field and/or solid experience working with the community
* 3 month intensive training program provided
* Willingness to travel throughout Orange County (mileage reimbursement provided)
* Salary range from $32,000 to $40,000 commiserate with education and experience



Those with recent experience in the non-profit community, who have been affected by down-sizing, or cessation of program funding will be given top priority. Please e-mail resumes to Yvette Bojorquez, RN, Director of Client Services at ybojorquez@momsorangecounty.org



THANKS!!!

Pamela

PLEASE NOTE: NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS

ppimentel@momsorangecounty.org


Pamela Pimentel, RN, CEO

MOMS Orange County

1128 West Santa Ana Blvd.

Santa Ana, CA 92703

Direct Line (714) 352-3423

(714) 972-2610 ext: 423

Fax (714) 972-2620

Seeking Asian Indian American Survivors of Suicide for study

Hello, My name is Suresh Unni, Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I am a
doctoral candidate at Loyola University of Chicago. I am currently
recruiting participants to interview who may be interested in sharing their
story of losing a sibling to suicide. All interviews will be confidential.
The attached flyer specifies the criteria for participants and procedures in
conducting the research. Please take a look at the details below to see if
you, or anyone you know, may be interested in participating in the research.
If so, please contact me. Thanks for your time and consideration.

Suresh Unni, LCSW


SEEKING - - - ASIAN INDIAN AMERICAN SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE

~ Are you an adult of Asian Indian origin?

~ Have you lost a sibling to suicide who was between the ages of 18-30 at
the time of their death?

~Have you lived in the United States for at least 10 years?

If so, this research study provides an opportunity for you to share your
story of losing a loved one to suicide and contribute to the field of
suicide prevention.

Purpose of the Research Study
The research aims to better understand your experiences as a sibling
survivor and your perceptions of contextual factors that may have been
related to your sibling¹s suicide.

What is involved?
- Participants are requested to take part in semi-structured interviews that
will last 45-60 minutes with questions focusing on family relationships
and cultural issues in relation to suicide.
- Participants will remain anonymous and all interview results will be
kept confidential. Participants have the right to withdraw at any time.
- Participants will be asked to sign a consent form.

For further information please contact Suresh Unni, LCSW at
seshu98@hotmail.com or at 312-560-2454.

Thank you!

National, state and international organizations sign-on to oppose the immigrant HPV vaccine requirement

January 26, 2009

Richard Besser, MD

Acting Director

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road

Atlanta, GA 30333
RE: HPV Vaccination Mandate for Immigrant Women and Girls


Dear Dr. Besser:
The undersigned immigrants’ rights, women’s rights, public health, medical, and reproductive justice organizations write to express our opposition to the newly-imposed requirement that female immigrants ages 11 to 26, seeking permanent residence or entry to the U.S. be immunized against the human papillomavirus (HPV).


We urge the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to retract its listing of HPV as a required vaccination for immigrants in the revised Technical Instructions to the Civil Surgeons for Vaccinations Requirements, and to direct the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to modify its recommendation to state that the HPV vaccination should not be mandated for immigrants. We also ask the CDC to direct the United States Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to suspend the HPV vaccination requirement for immigrants applying to adjust their immigration status or to obtain visas for the U.S. In addition, we ask that the CDC re-examine and modify its current system of adding new vaccination requirements for immigrants to prevent future unintended additions to the list of mandatory vaccinations and undue burdens on immigrants. We outline the principal reasons for our objection to the mandated HPV vaccination below.


As you know, ACIP recommended in 2007 that Gardasil, the only FDA approved HPV vaccine, be administered to females ages 11 to 26 in the U.S. This recommendation became an automatic requirement for prospective immigrants when the government updated its vaccination list in July 2008. Unlike the other infectious diseases addressed on the list of required vaccinations, HPV does not pose an immediate threat to public health. Dr. Jon Abramson, former chairman ACIP, has said that Gardasil should not be mandatory because HPV, unlike measles or chicken pox, is transmitted only by sexual contact. Of the 14 required vaccinations for immigrants, 12 are intended to combat infectious diseases that are transmitted by respiratory route and are considered to be highly contagious. Gardasil and the only available vaccine for shingles, Zoster, are the only exceptions.


Furthermore, while the HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and women in the U.S., it is not currently required of U.S. citizens in any jurisdiction. We believe the mandatory use of a medical procedure on a targeted population, when it is not required by the general population, is discriminatory. Like their U.S. citizen counterparts, all prospective immigrant women should have the opportunity to make an informed decision about their use of the HPV vaccine, weighing both the potential costs and health benefits of this procedure. The HPV vaccination is not mandatory for U.S. citizens, and its inclusion as a required vaccine for immigrant women and girls raises tremendous concerns. The immigrant population also shares this sentiment. Immigration attorneys and on-the-ground advocates have received inquiries from immigrant women who question why this mandate impacts only them and their young daughters.
Moreover, the high cost of the HPV vaccine creates an unfair financial barrier for immigrant women. On average, the vaccine costs $120 per dose. The FDA approved regimen consists of three doses to be administered within six months, resulting in at least $360 in vaccine costs and several visits to the doctor or clinic. This is in addition to the cost of getting up to 13 other mandatory vaccinations, and application fees amounting to over $1,000. According to a recent survey of all designated civil surgeons in Maine that was conducted to determine the actual cost of receiving the series of Gardasil shots, the price of the series ranged from $600 to $1000.


Waiving the HPV vaccination requirement is also difficult and cost-prohibitive. While civil surgeons may apply a no-cost blanket waiver to the HPV vaccination under narrow circumstances, there is a mandatory waiver fee of $565 if an individual applicant is opposed to vaccinations in general based on her religious beliefs or moral convictions. We find the cost of the waiver unduly burdensome, and are also troubled that immigrants may resort to getting the vaccination in lieu of paying the even more expensive waiver fee. We are equally disturbed by the fact that some young immigrant women have decided to wait until they turn 27 years old to apply for adjustment of status so that they can age out of the vaccination requirement.
Finally, we have received accounts of the HPV vaccination being improperly administered. In one case, a pregnant woman received the vaccination even though the vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women by the CDC. While a pregnant U.S. citizen can decide whether or not to be vaccinated, a pregnant immigrant woman must be vaccinated without any opportunity to weigh the possible risks to herself and her pregnancy. Another case involved a woman who received the vaccine despite the fact that she was well over 26 years of age. These accounts reflect mistakes that could have been avoided if a more transparent and conscientious process was put in place during the implementation of the mandate.


Research that disaggregates data based on race and ethnicity show that cervical cancer has a disproportionate impact on certain immigrants, particularly Latinas and certain ethnic Asian groups including Vietnamese, Korean and Hmong women. However, the CDC’s and USCIS’s decision to mandate Gardasil for young immigrant women will not resolve these health disparities. For many immigrant women, the high expense of medical care, the lack of health insurance, and the difficulty in finding culturally competent services means that they forego routine preventive health care services such as pap smears. These inequalities in access contribute to the high rates of cervical cancer among immigrant women. While we support safe medical technologies that protect women’s health, mandating the use of medical procedures will not fully improve immigrant women’s lives.


We share your concern for the high rates of cervical cancer experienced by women of color and immigrant women, but we urge you to act quickly and retract your listing of HPV as a required vaccination in the revised Technical Instructions to Civil Surgeons for Vaccinations Requirements and to direct ACIP to modify their recommendation to state that the HPV vaccination should not be mandated for immigrants. We believe our focus should be on strengthening culturally-competent outreach efforts, increasing access to preventive health care services, such as Pap smears, for all groups of women facing a disproportionate risk of cancer. We also believe that all women should have the same right to informed decision-making over whether or not they want to be vaccinated against HPV.


Thank you for your consideration. We welcome the opportunity for further communication on this issue. Please contact Priscilla Huang at phuang@napawf.org, or (301) 270-4440, with questions or concerns.


Sincerely,
International Organizations
International Women’s Health Coalition
National Organizations
ACCESS/Women’s Health Rights Coalition
Advocates for Youth
American Immigration Lawyers Association
American Medical Student Association
American Social Health Association
Asian American Justice Center
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Black Women’s Health Imperative
Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law
Center for Reproductive Rights
Center for Women Policy Studies
Choice USA
Church World Service, Immigration and Refugee Program
Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP)
Law Students for Reproductive Justice
Legal Momentum
Migrant Health Promotion
National Advocates for Pregnant Women
Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center
National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD)
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of La Raza
National Health Law Program
National Immigration Law Center
National Institute for Reproductive Health
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
National Network of Abortion Funds
Nonviolent Choice Directory
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Women’s Health Network
OCA Embracing the Hopes and Aspirations of Asian Pacific Americans
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Pro-Choice Public Education Project (PEP)
Project PAP (Prevention Awareness Program) National Group
Quirky Black Girls
Reproductive Health Technologies Project
SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective
South Asian Americans Leading Together
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
The MergerWatch Project
The Praxis Project
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
Women of Color Resource Center
State/Local Organizations
Act for Women and Girls
African Services Committee
American Friends Service Committee, Philadelphia, Pa
Asian Law Caucus
Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California
BARCA, Inc.
California Academy of Family Physicians
California National Organization for Women
Chicago Abortion Fund
Chicago Women’s Health Center
Coloradans For Immigrant Rights, a project of the American Friends Service Committee Colorado
Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity & Reproductive Rights (COLOR)
Daya, Inc. (Texas)
Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) (New York City)
Different Avenues
Entre Nosotras Foundation
Farmworker Legal Services of NY, Inc.
Feminist Women’s Health Center
Florida Coastal School of Law Immigrants Rights Clinic
HPV Awareness
Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, Inc.
Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH)
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
Immigration Services, Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Atlanta
Indo-American Center (Illinois)
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Refugee Immigration Project
Justice Now
Just Neighbors
Kentucky Health Justice Network
Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC), Chicago, IL
Korean Resource Center (KRC), Los Angeles, CA
Law Office of Jacqueline Tapia
LUZ: A Reproductive Justice Think Tank
Miami International Latinas Organizing for Leadership and Advocacy (MI-LOLA)
Michigan Asian Indian Family Services (Michigan)
Mitch Factors Innovation in Health & Wellness
Mujeres Latinas en Accion
NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts
Narika
Nationalities Service Center
New Voices Pittsburgh: Women of Color for Reproductive Justice
New York City Latina Advocacy Network
Northwest Women’s Law Center
Our Bodies Ourselves
Pinay sa Seattle
Planned Parenthood Los Angeles
Planned Parenthood of New York City
Prax(us)
Refugee Forum of Orange County
Reproductive Justice Collective
Reproductive Justice Committee of the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood (NJ)
Robin H. Thompson & Associates
SisterLove, Inc.
Southwest Women’s Law
Tewa Women United
The Feminist Women’s Health Centers of California
The Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies
The New York Immigration Coalition
UCAN
Victims Resource Center
Women Who Care, Inc.
YWCA of the Sauk Valley
The Feminist Women’s Health Centers of California
The Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies
The New York Immigration Coalition
UCAN
Victims Resource Center
Women Who Care, Inc.
YWCA of the Sauk Valley

Chicago Filipino Health Volunteer Opportunity - Meeting on Feb 21

Maligayang Bagong Taon!

We hope this email finds you well.

The Filipino American Community Health Initiative of Chicago (FACHIC) is a collaborative of community, health professional, and academicleaders united to address Filipino health issues in the Chicago area.

The mission of FACHIC is to increase awareness of Filipino healthdisparities, to engage the community in relevant research, and toimplement health interventions and educational programming to improvethe health status of the Filipino community.

The Filipino American Community Health Initiative of Chicago (FACHIC)is currently recruiting dynamic, compassionate and dedicatedindividuals of all backgrounds who would like to contribute to effortsto improve the health of the Chicago area Filipino and FilipinoAmerican community. Individuals with expertise and experience inmedicine, public health, social work, education and translation are aplus but anyone interested in contributing to the Filipino communityis highly encouraged to attend.

FACHIC will be hosting its second annual Volunteer Interest Meeting on Saturday, February 21 from 11 AM to 12 PM at a location to beannounced.At the meeting, FACHIC Steering Board Members will discuss the missionand vision of the organization and ways you can contribute your skillsand talents to improve the health of the Filipino community.

RSVP to the meeting is recommended by email tofilamcommunityhealth@gmail.com. Light refreshments will be served.If you are interested in getting involved with FACHIC but are unableto attend the meeting, please contact us at filamcommunityhealth@gmail.com to be added to our volunteer listservand to get more details.

FACHIC is also on Facebook! Search under"FACHIC" and join "FACHIC: Filipino American Community HealthInitiative of Chicago" to join our group!Please pass on the word and we hope to see you there! Be involved, beactive, empower your community!

Maraming salamat po,FACHIC Steering Board Carmela Estrada JP Jael Jane JihDan VicencioThe Filipino American Community Health Initiative of Chicago (FACHIC)is a collaborative of community, health professional, and academicleaders united to address Filipino health issues in the Chicago area.The mission of FACHIC is to increase awareness of Filipino healthdisparities, to engage the community in relevant research, and to implement health interventions and educational programming to improvethe health status of the Filipino community.