Massachusetts General Hospital "Can" free and public screening 4/28/16 @6pm
Pearl J. Park
A special screening of the award-winning documentary film “Can,” followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with producer/director Pearl J. Park.
Asian Americans are often perceived as the well-adjusted “model minority,” though they experience high rates of mental and emotional problems, and often do not seek help. Stigma, shame, and other cultural factors contribute to Asian Americans facing significant barriers to accessing mental health treatment. This film screening will encourage an open dialogue in hopes of educating providers and non-providers, increasing understanding, and reducing social stigma related to mental health in the Asian-American community. Open to the MGH community and general public.
“Can” – What does it take to heal from mental illness?
Winner of the 2015 Audience Choice Award at Viet Film Fest.
One of the first documentary films about mental illness from an Asian-American perspective, “Can” provides a window into the inner dynamics of one Vietnamese-American family as immigrant parents struggle to deal with the mental illness of their American-raised son, Can. A former war refugee and college student aspiring to become a doctor, Can tries to reconcile cultural differences as he embarks on his own healing journey.
Thursday, April 28, 6-8 pm
Massachusetts General Hospital O’Keefe Auditorium
55 Fruit Street (Main Campus), 1st Floor
Doors open at 5:45 pm
This program is funded in part by the American Psychiatric Association SAMHSA funded Minority Fellowship Program.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/186997151684832/
Contact:
Juliana Chen M.D.
MGH/McLean Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow
About the Producer/Director.
Pearl J. Park is an award-winning filmmaker and activist who uses film to achieve social justice objectives. She has been using her film "Can" to help break the silence about mental illness in Asian-American communities, as well as to contribute to the broader public discourse about mental health and cultural competency. Motivated by the personal experience of having a family member with mental illness, Ms. Park, who is Korean American, produced this film to bring attention to the issues in mental health care for Asian Americans.
About the Panelists.
Justin Chen, MD, MPH is a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Instructor at Harvard Medical School, where he also serves as Associate Director of the MGH Core Clerkship in Psychiatry for 3rd-year Harvard medical students. His primary research and clinical interests are in the areas of cross-cultural psychiatry, stigma, and racial/ethnic disparities in mental health service utilization. He has been funded to investigate novel mechanisms for improving engagement of depressed Chinese immigrants into mental health care at South Cove Community Health Center, and in his clinical practice he utilizes a combination of psychotherapy and medications to serve a predominantly Asian American population. In 2014, he co-founded the MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness, a consortium of clinicians, educators, and researchers who are passionate about understanding and promoting cross-cultural and international student emotional wellness through a three-fold mission of education and primary prevention; research; and consultation, treatment, and referral. Dr. Chen received his BS and MD degrees from Yale University and his MPH in clinical effectiveness from Harvard University. He completed his residency training in adult psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital.
Josephine Kim, PhD earned her doctorate in Counselor Education from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Massachusetts, and a National Certified Counselor whose clinical skills and experiences span many contexts including residential facilities, community agencies, and public and private schools. She has worked with multicultural populations through individual, group, and family counseling, and has taught students of all ages in varied educational contexts, including private and public language schools and private and public colleges and universities. She has provided professional consultation and expertise on multicultural, mental health, career development, and educational issues to various media sources in Asia and in the U.S. She has been called upon during national crises, deployed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the federal government to work with Katrina victims during the summer of 2006 and Virginia Tech in the spring of 2007, directly following the campus violence. She serves on the board of directors of several nonprofit organizations and serves as an advisor to educational institutions. She is also the founding executive director of a nonprofit organization that aims to educate Asian Americans on issues of spirituality, cultural and racial identity, intergenerational conflicts, cross-cultural advocacy, mental health, and career development issues.
Pata Suyemoto, PhD is an independent feminist scholar, writer, educator, and mental health activist. She earned her PhD. in education from the University of Pennsylvania, and did her research on multicultural education and issues of race and racism. She has spoken and written about her struggles with depression (including being interviewed by The Boston Globe and Psychology Today) and is a co-founder of The Breaking Silences Project. (www.thebreakingsilencesproject.com). She is a member of the planning committee for the annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Mental Health Forum, and a member of the Multicultural Advisory Committee for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. She volunteers for Families for Depression Awareness where speaks to media about her experiences with negotiating her depression. Dr. Suyemoto is also an artist who is particularly interested in collage and three-dimensional found art. She is an avid cyclist, and bicycle riding instructor. During the summer of 2012, she and her partner rode their bicycles across the United States from Massachusetts to Washington State.
Catherine Vuky, PhD is a Clinical Supervisor at South Cove Community Health Center, which is a premier Asian health center of Massachusetts providing culturally and linguistically competent health services in Boston and Quincy. Dr. Vuky provides clinical and administrative oversight to the Department of Behavioral Health and works directly with the Co-Medical Director. She graduated from the California School of Professional Psychology-Alameda Campus, and completed her internship at Boston University’s Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology in 2000 and licensed in 2002. In addition to being a full-time psychologist at South Cove, she is adjunct faculty at William James College, teaching advanced child and family therapy courses. Dr. Vuky also serves on the Community Advisory Board to the Boston Refugee Youth Enrichment (BRYE) summer program through Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital Community Advisory Board.
