by Nine nonprofit organizations in San Diego County have received grants totaling $500,000 from the San Diego Foundation to increase mental health services for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander teenagers and young adults in the 15–24 age range.
Suicide is the greatest cause of death among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander youth in California, according to our most recent State of San Diego Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders Report, said Amenah Gulamhusein, senior director of Strategic Initiatives at SDF. Together with our nonprofit partners, we must prioritize well-being while offering and de-stigmatizing access to mental and behavioral health services in order to address this issue in our community.
Programs that offer mental health screening, treatment, and supportive interventions, foster relationships between generations, give young people leadership and mentoring opportunities, and provide educational materials to lessen stigma and improve access to care will all benefit from the awards.
Among the grantees for 2025 are:
-
Vietnamese American Youth Alliance
$65,000 for a community health and mental health program. -
Karen Organization of San Diego
$50,000 for peer-based, trauma-informed youth intervention. -
Ahaaana
$60,000 for trauma-informed spaces for youth and adults. -
Asian Pacific Islander Community Actions
$65,000 for Mental Health Meriendas and leadership opportunities with clinicians and social workers. -
California State University San Marcos Foundation
$50,000 for PIC Health Youth, a resilience and leadership program with a tailored app. -
Miramar College Foundation
$50,000 for wraparound student mental health support. -
Taupou Samoa Cultural Arts
$55,000 for the Tu I Luga youth program. -
The Bridge Lab Foundation
$50,000 for the Frontline program, providing preventative care for youth. -
The Samoa Association San Diego
$55,000 for healthcare education and outreach.
The AANHPI community in San Diego County is the seventh largest in the nation. Significant disparities were highlighted in the State of San Diego AANHPI Report, which was commissioned by SDF and created in collaboration with the Policy & Innovation Center. According to a news release, 30% of AANHPI community members encounter obstacles when trying to access health services because of cost, lack of awareness, limited insurance coverage, and language access.
The San Diego Foundation’s Lotus Fund, which was established with a $2.5 million endowment to honor AANHPI heritage and provide for important community needs, provides funding. As a component of SDF’s Fifty & Forward campaign, the Lotus Fund seeks to generate $1 billion to support San Diego’s future while also awarding $500 million to regional NGOs.
More information is available at
SDFoundation.org/50
.
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