On Sept. 16, Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) hosted “Together: A Community Conference on Mental Health and Well-Being” at the Japanese American National Museum.

Approximately 150 people attended the day-long conference dedicated to reducing stigma and opening the conversation about mental health in the Asian American community. Uniquely, the conference addresses mental health issues across generations and includes workshops for the English-speaking and Japanese-speaking population.

This is the second LTSC mental health conference, following the first conference in 2019. Since then, the stress of the COVID pandemic and the spread of anti-Asian hate crimes have contributed to the rise of mental health issues in Asian American, Native mental health and suicide. Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (ANHPI) community. LTSC works diligently to build a network of mental health experts and community advocates to increase support for Asian American mental health.

“In response to the post-pandemic mental health crisis we are seeing across all age groups, our social services department has decided to host a mental health conference this year,” said Margaret Shimada, director of service programs at LTSC. “Asian Americans are the least likely to access mental health services compared to any other racial or ethnic group. Culturally, we often hide or minimize feelings for fear of being judged .

“Open conversations and sharing of stories are essential for reducing stigma and normalizing mental health, which is why community gatherings like LTSC’s Together Conference are so important.”

“Together” opens with an intergenerational panel discussing the state of mental health in the community. Linh Vo (MFT student and Changing Tides crew member) moderated the panel of Dr. John Lou (director of psychiatric residency training at UC Irvine and director of emergency and consultation-liaison psychiatry at UCI Medical Center), Mia Yamamoto (Los Angeles-based criminal defense attorney and civil rights activist) and Ty Tanioka (Changing Tides crew member) , who shared their personal mental health struggles and how they worked through them.

They highlight cultural barriers that influence help-seeking, such as fear of bringing shame to the family or community, and reiterate the importance of seeking culturally appropriate mental health care. The open and honest dialogue set a tone for the rest of the conference.

“I enjoyed the opening panel. It was great to hear from different people from a mental health professional to someone from the queer community to someone from my generation,” shared one attendee.

Dr. Mary Ann Takemoto attended. He is a retired vice president of student affairs and director of counseling and health services at CSU Long Beach and is currently a member of LTSC’s Board of Directors.

“As a psychologist who has been in the field of mental health for the last 30 years, I feel that there is reason to be optimistic. Holding a conference on mental health is evidence of the progress we have made in our community. I admire the efforts of those who are willing to be open and honest about their mental health journeys,” Takemoto said.

“With each generation, there is more openness to seeking help, but we must continue to be advocates for mental health care. Maybe one day in the future, it will be as easy for us to talk about the issues of mental health such as anxiety or depression as talking about physical health issues such as high blood pressure or diabetes.”

The conference offers a variety of workshops and sessions ranging from educational presentations to action workshops to personal testimonials. Topics include suicide prevention, somatic movement, psychiatry, senior isolation, beginning therapy, occupational therapy for children, mindfulness through collaging, and more.

The event concluded with a musical performance by aspiring mental health professional Emma Lin.

One attendee shared, “I was amazed at the variety of sessions for all ages! I’ll be starting to work with middle-schoolers soon, so I want to learn ways to work effectively with them.” . And my mom is older and single, so I’m looking forward to the senior isolation session. I love that the conference is so affordable, it’s so approachable.”

Another attendee reflected, “I have a background in social work, so I’ve been in a lot of mental health areas. But today was emotional for me, seeing the API community come together. Seeing the elderly, young people, and talking about our shared culture became very emotional. It was a great conference!”

“Together” is sponsored by The Atlas Kardia Foundation, Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis (First District), Japanese American National Museum, Kambara Family Fund, Kinecta Federal Credit Union, Kanai Family Foundation, Dick and Pauline Kaku, Keiro , and Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles.