The Center for Health Equity Research (CHER) leads the evaluation efforts for the Community Wellness Program (CWP), a mental health prevention and intervention project of The Cambodian Association of America (CAA) under the California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP) Phase 2 Asian Pacific Islander Implementation Pilot Project funded by the California Department of Public Health. It is the first program of its kind that seeks to demonstrate the effectiveness of culture-specific outreach techniques and intervention activities centered on shifting cultural norms about mental illness.
CAA leads the Cambodian Advocacy Collaborative (CAC) made up of five nonprofit agencies dedicated to health, human and social service provision in the greater Long Beach area and in Santa Ana, California. The CAC is made up of CAA, the United Cambodian Community (UCC), Khmer Parents Association (KPA), Families in Good Health (FiGH), and The Cambodian Family (TCF).
The CWP is a community-centered and strength-based Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Community Defined Evidence Program that seeks to demonstrate the effectiveness of culture-specific outreach techniques and interventions centered on shifting cultural norms pertaining to mental illness for the purpose of preventing and improving mental health among Cambodians. CWP will consist of programming at five sites in the greater Long Beach and Santa Ana areas, and will include:
1) PEI community outreach and engagement services;
2) PEI educational workshops with a focus on mental wellness promotion, suicide prevention, and healthy living skills practices;
3) case management/navigation, and engagement/referral services for health and mental health treatment services; and,
4) peer and family support and recreational activities.
CHER assesses the effectiveness of the CWP through both quantitative and qualitative data collection during each year of the program. Results from evaluation activities are used to inform service delivery and assess project impact, including, but not limited to, reduced mental health stigma, increased knowledge of mental illness, increased access to and utilization of mental health services, and improved physical and mental health. The CWP is a 5-year program and will continue through June 30, 2022.