Just like in any other profession, prevention work serves up an alphabet soup of acronyms and jargon. And when different languages and dialects are added to the mix, it can be even more challenging to communicate. In the melting pot of the United States, Asian Pacific Americans are the fastest growing community. Two coalition experts, Melissa-Kim Tom and Myron Dean Quon, help coalition members to determine the best recipe to help coalitions develop cultural competency and language access for anyone working with or wanting to include and work with culturally diverse target populations, specifically Asian Pacific Americans.
The course, “Tiger Moms, Shamans, and Jeremy Lin – Coalitions and Asian Pacific Americans,” is being offered Aug. 5 at CADCA’s Mid-Year Training Institute. You can also take courses in a host of other substance abuse issues at the institute in Indianapolis Aug. 2-6.
Often seen as a “model minority,” Asian Pacific Americans sometimes are perceived to be successful, but the truth is that many are refugees, working class, and have limited English skills, explained Tom.
With more than a dozen countries and hundreds of languages and dialects from Asia and the Pacific Islands represented in many American communities, Tom and Quon will help participants dig into the issues related to assimilation and acculturation and develop strategies to address substance abuse in this unique and often underserved community.
Tom said their course will challenge coalition members to do some self-reflection of their own biases and prejudices they might have or assumptions they might make when creating their work plans.
Once everyone understands each other better, Tom added, it will be easier for coalition members to address health disparity, enhance their coalitions with members of this diverse Asian Pacific American community, and to change social norms around substance abuse prevention and treatment.
Tom is the Training Operations Support Manager for the Training and Technical Assistance Department of CADCA’s National Coalition Institute. Tom spent more than a decade as a prevention leader working at the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii.
Her co-trainer, Quon, is the Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse. He is based in Los Angeles.
CADCA’s Mid-Year Training Institute offers half-day and two-day courses for new, established and veteran drug prevention professionals in eight subject areas. Learn more about the training tracks, key speakers and other details about CADCA’s Mid-Year Training Institute.
What are you waiting for? Your community’s substance abuse problems aren’t going to solve themselves! Take advantage of the early-bird deadline, which is fast approaching on June 15. Register today.
