Recap: Health Promoter Training - Mental Health

On December 8, AAHI's Health Promoters got together for their bi-monthly training on mental health. We invited two behavioral health providers to come join us for a discussion on the steps of getting mental health care one might need.

Instead of the usual training format, AAHI hosted a panel discussion to encourage our Health Promoters to share their outreach experience in the Asian American community regarding mental health. Our panelists for the training are Nouf Bazaz and Jenni Young. Nouf, Senior Fellow at the World Organization for Resource Development & Education (WORDE), serves as the Program Director of the International Cultural Center (ICC) Crossroads, a program of WORDE that provides counseling, case management, and positive youth development programming to refugee and immigrant families. Jenni, Licensed Couples and Family Therapist, works with the Mandarin-speaking population in Baltimore. She is also completing her PhD in Family Science at the University of Maryland.

During the evening, our Health Promoters asked questions on cultural sensitives and strategies on explaining mental health to community members and had an insightful conversations with the panelists. Our panelists also share their experience on working with clients who are Asian Americans and acknowledge the importance of raising awareness about getting mental health care with community members.

We would like to thank both Nouf and Jenni for coming during their busy schedules and providing us with such a useful training!

Fun Fact: Did you know that both Nouf and Jenni are in our newly published mental health photonovel 2? Go to our Resource Library to find out more!

Click on picture above to see more pictures from the evening!

Recap: ECHO Workshop #12 - Aging in Montgomery County: Creating an Inclusive Community for a Lifetime

On December 6th, AAHI, in partnership with the African American Health Program, the Latino Health Initiative, and the Community Action Agency, hosted our 12th Empowering Community Health Organizations (ECHO) Workshop! This workshop, "Aging in Montgomery County: Creating an Inclusive Community for a Lifetime", is the first of our three part series focusing on the needs, impacts, and opportunities of an aging community. Part two and three of this series will follow in the spring and fall of 2017.

Our ECHO Project is a series of professional and practical training workshops designed to build the capacity and sustainability of community organizations.

This workshop was led by Dr. John Kenney, Chief of Aging and Disability Services with Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. He provided an overview of the current and emerging older population of the County, discussed the health and socio-economic disparities among the diverse population and what opportunities there are for older people in our community. To reinforce what they learned during the presentation, attendees participated in a small group activity envisioning what a healthy aging community in Montgomery County can look like.

Over 100 attendees, representing about 40 organizations, came to the workshop. Thank you to our wonderful speaker, Steering Committee, Health Promoter, and staff for making this a successful event. We look forward to seeing you again in our spring 2017 ECHO Workshop!

Please click on the image below to see more photos from the night!

Event Recap: Health Promoter Training, Senior Health and Wellness Expo, VNMAP Health Fair, and MHC Health Fair

In anticipation of open enrollment season of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), AAHI offered our Health Promoters a Health Insurance/ACA training on October 27. Staff from the Montgomery County Health Connection provided helpful insights on health insurance literacy and updates on the health insurance enrollment and renewal process.

You are strongly encouraged to update your information and look at the 2017 plans by December 15 even if you already have a 2016 plan through the Maryland Health Connection. Follow these steps here https://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov/how-to-enroll/renewal/ to see how to renew or change your plan for the upcoming year!

Click on picture above to go to photo album

We would like to thank our colleagues at Montgomery County Health Connection for coming during their busy schedule and providing us with such a useful training!

On November 1, AAHI participated in the Senior Health and Wellness Expo hosted by Leadership Montgomery at the Holiday Park Senior Center. AAHI had a great time interacting with participants and networking with other vendors. Thank you for inviting us, Leadership Montgomery!

Then on November 13, AAHI joined Viet Nam Medical Assistance Program (VNMAP) at the Our Lady of Vietnam Parish for their SMASH B Health Fair where hepatitis B screenings were provided. We distributed general health information and local resources available at our Resource Information table. We would like to thank VNMAP for inviting us at their health fair.

Over the past weekend on November 20, AAHI attended the Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC) Health Fair. Participants were very enthusiastic to come to our Resource Information table and to participate in the bone density screening. Our health promoters were able to provide outreach and education on topics such as hepatitis B, blood pressure, diabetes, and mental health. Thank you MHC for inviting us!

Click on picture above to go to photo album

In addition to all the past events, we want to remind everyone that the deadline to RSVP for the 12th Empowering Community Health Organization (ECHO) Workshop, "Aging in Montgomery County: Creating an Inclusive Community for a Lifetime", is fast approaching!

Space is limited. Please follow this link http://conta.cc/2dqhQMg or call Ms. Diem-Thanh (Tanya) Dang, AAHI Program Assistant, at 240-777-4517 to register by November 23!

We hope you will join us in building a healthier community!

ECHO Registration has been extended to Nov 23!

Registration deadline for our "Aging in Montgomery County: Creating an Inclusive Community for a Lifetime" ECHO workshop on Dec 6, 2016 has been extended! RSVP on or before Wednesday Nov 23 to guarantee your space at the workshop!

Dr. John Kenney, Chief of Aging and Disability Services, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Service (MCDHHS), will provide an overview of the current and emerging senior population of the County and discuss the social, physical, and fiscal impact which aging has on communities. Being well-informed of the physical, mental, and social needs of seniors can help communities better prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead. Information on resources available in Montgomery County will also be presented.

Space is limited. Please follow this link http://conta.cc/2dqhQMg or call Ms. Diem-Thanh (Tanya) Dang, AAHI Program Assistant, at 240-777-4517 to register today!

We hope you will join us in building a healthier community!

AAHI's Nov 2016 Newsletter is Now Available!

The November 2016 issue of AAHI's newsletter is now available online! Please click the image below to read a full-size version of the newsletter. Subscribe to our mailing list today to receive our quarterly newsletters via email!

Save the Date for Our ECHO Workshop!

The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services’ (MCDHHS) Office of Community Affairs and Aging and Disability Services would like to invite you to join us for a free training workshop as part of the Empowering Community Health Organizations (ECHO) Project 2016.

This FREE workshop entitled “Aging in Montgomery County: Creating an Inclusive Community for a Lifetime” is the first in a three-part series focusing on the health and social needs of seniors and their families.The workshop will be held on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM at the Silver Spring Civic Building, Great Hall at One Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

The workshop will be led by Dr. John Kenney, Chief of Aging and Disability Services, MCDHHS, who will provide an overview of the current and emerging senior population of the County and discuss the social, physical, and fiscal impact which aging has on communities. Being well-informed of the physical, mental, and social needs of seniors can help communities better prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead. Information on resources available in Montgomery County will also be presented.

Registration is required due to limited space. Please RSVP by Friday, November 18, 2016. You can register online at http://conta.cc/2dqhQMg or by calling Diem-Thanh (Tanya) Dang, AAHI Program Assistant, at 240-777-4517.

If you have any questions, or if you are unable to register, please contact Ms. Dang via telephone or email at Diem-Thanh.Dang@montgomerycountymd.gov. We hope you will join us in building a healthier community!

Recap: Steering Committee Retreat, FIRST Project at GCAC, Cambodian Health Fair

Over the past 2 weeks, AAHI has been out and about providing education and resources to our communities!

On October 15, members of AAHI Steering Committee got together for their annual Steering Committee Retreat to discuss the ways AAHI can assist in achieving the goal of eliminating health disparities in the Asian community. They identified priority issues AAHI will focus on in the area of senior health and developed actionable goals. We would like to thank our Steering Committee for their continuous assistance and guidance with AAHI!

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In the morning of October 23, AAHI attended the Cambodian Health Fair hosted at the Cambodian Buddhist Temple in Silver Spring. We provided bone density screening and distributed general health information and local resources available at our Resource Information table. Thank you for inviting us!

Click on picture above to go to photo album

Then in the afternoon, AAHI hosted the Faith-based Initiative for Resources and Services Training (FIRST) at the Gaithersburg Chinese Alliance Church (GCAC). Our attendees actively participated in the training and were trained in ways to assist their community members in accessing available resources and services in Montgomery County. Thank you GCAC for attending the training!

Click on picture above to go to photo album

Recap: KCSC Health Fair, SCUP Conference, and GGSF Health Fair

The first week of October flew by in the blink of an eye! While the temperature continues to drop, AAHI has been busy reaching out to our communities!

On Saturday October 1, AAHI attended the Korean Community Service Center Health Fair held at Global Mission Church. AAHI provided health education and osteoporosis screening for attendees at the health fair.

Click on picture for photo album

On Friday Oct 7, AAHI was at the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS)'s Annual School Community United in Partnerhsip (SCUP) Conference in support of this year's conference theme "All Together Now... Our Journey to Community!" The event was well attended and many attendees were interested in our mental health photonovel and Wheel of Health Education on mental health.

Then on Sunday Oct 9, AAHI provided bone density screening and general health education at the American Diversity Group and Guru Gobind Singh Foundation Health Fair. Our health promoters were able to provide outreach and education on topics such as hepatitis B, blood pressure, diabetes, and mental health. County Executive Ike Leggett visited our Resource Table during the event too!

Click on picture for photo album

In the coming weeks, AAHI will be at the Cambodian Buddhist Temple and Sri Lankan Kathina Celebration. For details of upcoming events, please click onto the calendar on the left. We hope to see you there!

Recap: Health Promoters Training and Outreach Activities

The past week has been a busy week at AAHI! Not only did we move to a new office, the fall outreach season has also begun!

We provided our first Health Promoters training in the new Fiscal Year on September 22 to freshen up our Health Promoters' knowledge on the referral process and prepare them for the new outreach season! They were trained on the different tools and procedures we use at outreach events and how to effectively reach out to our community members. Thank you for coming, Health Promoters!

Click on the picture above to see more photos from the training!

Over the weekend, AAHI was at the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC) Health Fair on September 24 and Guru Nanak Foundation of America (GNFA) Health Fair on September 25. Bone density screenings and general health information such as cancer, mental health, and local resources were provided at both events. Thank you for having us CCACC and GNFA!

Click on the pictures below to see more photos from the events!

Chinese Culture and Community Service Center Health Fair

Guru Nanak Foundation of America Health Fair

AAHI Will Be Moving Soon!

Starting Monday September 19, 2016, AAHI will be located at 1401 Rockville Pike, 3rd Floor, Rockville, MD 20852! While we are excited to move to the new building, it was also sad to leave the 1335 Piccard Drive location as AAHI has been at this location since our inception more than 10 years ago.

AAHI has been busy packing up everything for the past couple of months. Our phone numbers and office hours will remain the same. We hope to have a smooth transition between locations and we apologize for any inconvenience caused during our move.

Here's a sneak peak of our new office:

For more information on Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services offices at the 1401 Rockville Pike location and directions on how to get there, please follow this link:

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS-Program/Maps/1401RockvillePike-M20.html

Recap: FIRST Project at Chinese Bible Church of Maryland

On September 10, AAHI hosted our first Faith-based Initiative for Resources and Services Training (FIRST) at the Chinese Bible Church of Maryland (CBCM)! This 3-hour training, called "AAHI 101 and Guide to Local and County Resources", is our first collaboration with a Faith Based Organization (FBO) designed to educate and equip FBO members about various county and local health and social resources available for Asian Americans.

This training was led by Huyen Bui, AAHI Resource Coordinator, and Luis Martinez, Office of Community Affairs Diversity Outreach Coordinator. They provided caregivers at CBCM an extensive overview on various local and government health and social services resources available and shared their experience on where and how to access the services and resources from different offices and programs in Montgomery County. 

Over 35 attendees came to our workshop. Thank you to the Chinese Bible Church of Maryland for having us and we hope to continue our collaboration with CBCM in the future!

Please click on the image below to see more photos from the training!

Nutrition After 50

Date: Thursday, August 25, 2016
Time: 1:00PM-2:00PM
Location: Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Drive, Rockville, MD 20850 Fee: Free
Registration: Required. To register, please visit http://goo.gl/l5UqMc.

Rhonda Brandes, Suburban hospital registered dietitian, will discuss the basics of meal planning, what to look for on food labels and diet modifications that will help you look and feel your best in your 50s and beyond.

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Disclaimer: Please note the information provided above may be subject to change. Contact the respective organizations to ensure the most current information. Updated on 7/26/16.

National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM)

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) and AAHI would like to take this opportunity to highlight the benefits of vaccination and the importance of vaccination for people of all ages.

Vaccination is important because it not only protects the person receiving the vaccine, but also helps prevent the spread of disease, especially to those that are most vulnerable to serious complications such as infants and young children, elderly, and those with chronic conditions and weakened immune systems.

Not sure what vaccines you may need? The CDC offers a short quiz at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adultquiz to help you find out which vaccines you might need. You can take the results of your quiz to your provider to discuss which vaccines are right for you.

The Asian American Health Initiative encourages you to connect with local, state, and government agencies to find the services that can help you get vaccinated. For assistance accessing County services, call Montgomery County’s information line at 240‐777‐0311 or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/311. You can also contact the Asian American Health Initiative for more information at 240‐777‐4517 or info@AAHIinfo.org.

Best of Luck, Harihar!

AAHI bids farewell to our Program Assistant, Harihar Bhattarai. Harihar joined AAHI last August and has been an indispensable member of our team since. Before he leaves, we had a short interview with Harihar on his experience working at AAHI and here are his responses!

Q: When did you join AAHI?
A: August, 2015.

Q: What brought you here?
A: After graduation, I was looking for a job where I could apply my undergraduate knowledge and skills to give back to the community and make positive impacts on public health. AAHI provided me opportunities to do so as I directly/in-directly participate in its various projects, trainings and community outreach events. In addition, I also wanted to get an idea on how a government program functions in the Public Health field. AAHI gave me an opportunity to learn about the multiple facets of a program run by the government, such as planning, budgeting, advocacy, and so on.

Q: What are your responsibilities at AAHI?
A: In general, my responsibility is to make sure that AAHI’s administrative matters are executed effectively and efficiently in a professional manner. My main responsibilities include providing office support such as scheduling visitor and phone reception, data entry and management, managing and coordinating meetings, workshops, and events, and maintaining AAHI’s internal and external communication.

Q: What are some of the fondest memories you have while working here?
A: One of the great things about working at AAHI is the professional environment. Staff at AAHI are always professional and have a good sense of team spirit with a strong work ethic. I also enjoyed working with a team who has a decent sense of humor in addition to its commitment towards quality work. One of the fondest memories that I will never forget was the way I revel my secret to staff members after coming back from my vacation and the reaction I received from them. Let me keep it a secret here as well!

Q: What’s your next destination?
A: I am currently enrolled in a master program in Epidemiology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. In addition, I am also getting my certificate in Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control.

Harihar, we will miss you at a lot at AAHI! Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication to AAHI during your time here. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!

Schedule for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Now!

From now through October 31, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services' Community Action Agency will be preparing amended, prior year (2013, 2014, and 2015), and current year returns through their FREE Income Tax Preparation Program - Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA).

This service is available for Montgomery County residents and by appointments ONLY. Those in need of an ITIN to file may also schedule an appointment.

Appointments will be available for the following days and time:

• Tuesdays, 11 AM - 4 PM, TESS Center, 8513 Piney Branch Road, Takoma Park
• Fridays, 11 AM - 4 PM, MidCounty Regional Center, 2424 Reedie Drive, Wheaton

Please visit https://booknow.appointment-plus.com/1pbtxe9v/10 to schedule an appointment. You may also call 240-777-1123 or visit http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/CASHBACK/ for more information.

AAHI's July 2016 Newsletter is Now Available!

The July 2016 issue of AAHI's newsletter is now available online! Please click the image below to read a full-size version of the newsletter. Subscribe to our mailing list today to receive our quarterly newsletters via email!

Thank You for an Amazing Fiscal Year!

As Fiscal Year 2016 comes to a close, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our Steering Committee, Health Promoters, community partners, volunteers, and community members for the invaluable experiences and opportunities we had this past year! AAHI is proud of what we have accomplished together and is grateful for all your dedication and support. We look forward to working with every one of you in the coming year and cannot wait to see what is in store for us in Fiscal Year 2017. Have a great summer!

Recap: Health Promoter End-of-Year Celebration!

On June 9th, AAHI hosted our annual End-of-Year celebration for our dedicated Health Promoters. We had a great night of fun and laughter that began with icebreaker games and a potluck dinner. We also took some time to acknowledge and celebrate all of their accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2016.

As always, AAHI is very grateful of the time and effort our Health Promoters contribute. It is through their commitment that AAHI is able to reach out to the community and make an impact. As a token of our appreciation, each Health Promoter received a Certificate of Recognition during the evening.

We thank our Health Promoters for their service and we look forward to working with them again in the coming fiscal year!

Please click here to see more photos from the celebration.