Wellness for Asian Pacific American (WAPA) Project – Primary and Behavioral Integrated Care Project

Grantee: Asian Counseling and Referral Service
Timeframe: July 2015 – June 2018 | Total Amount: $335,000

Year 1: July 2015 – June 2016. Amount: $100,000
Year 2: July 2016 – June 2017. Amount: $115,000
Year 3: July 2017 – June 2018. Amount: $120,000

The goal of the Wellness for Asian Pacific Americans (WAPA) program is to improve the overall wellness and physical health status of low income, limited English proficient AAPI immigrants and refugees living with severe mental illness (SMI). As an integrated whole health program, WAPA brings primary care into a community-based mental health setting to reduce barriers and increase access. WAPA seamlessly engages the population in wellness activities, health education, and dental care in a supportive community environment that promotes overall health through lifestyle and health behavior change.  Wellness activities consist of culturally competent and linguistically accessible health education and guided active participation in disease prevention/ management activities and physical exercise, which leads to improvement in their health status including decreasing obesity and reducing diabetes and cardiovascular risk.  Wellness education and activity groups include Tai Chi, Yoga, Ethnic-specific Wellness Groups (Lao, Mandarin, Cantonese, Mien, Samoan, and two Cambodian groups), the New Life Wellness Group, the MICA Group (for clients with dual diagnosis), gardening groups and the Healthy Cooking group.

Whole Health Care Managers, Wellness Counselors, and other ACRS staff will:

• Engage clients in wellness activities and groups focused on nutrition, exercise, smoking cessation, diabetes prevention and management, self-help, healing, and stress management.
• Connect clients to primary care services, including onsite services provided by ICHS.
• Connect clients to dental care services, including mobile dental services provided by Medical Teams International and ICHS.
• Support clients in managing their care, through health education, navigation, and services.