Welcome Asian Health Services

Every day, Vesper Society links arms with leaders in overlooked communities that want to create a healthy future and helps them devise ways to do it.

Established in 1974, Asian Health Services (AHS) provides comprehensive health care to low-income Asian immigrant and refugee adults and youth in Alameda County. They provide mental health services in primary care clinics, with the support of mental health therapy and/or case management.

Faced with the imminent closure of a decades-old mental health program that served many low-income Asian/Pacific Islander (API) immigrants and refugee youth and adults, the Alameda County Health Care Agency reached out to Asian Health Services in 2016.

Committed to serving those with mental health care needs in a culturally and linguistically competent manner, AHS heeded the call, understanding how important it was to continue these specialty mental health services for over 400 patients. With this additional service, AHS broadened its continuum of mental health services to treat low, moderate and severe mental health clients.

AHS providers soon faced challenges in treating patients within the framework of their existing program. First, some patients had more urgent needs: their daily functioning level was low, they had difficulty complying with treatment plans, and/or they had negative responses to their prescribed medications. Second, some patients had lessening needs: daily functioning levels had improved, and a primary care center was sufficient to meet their needs. But they didn’t want to stop serving these patient groups – who both needed continued psychiatric medication management and minimal mental health/case management support to sustain a higher level of daily functioning. More importantly, without AHS, the patients were unlikely to receive services that were culturally sensitive and respectful.

With support from Vesper Society, AHS was able to set up additional services for these two groups so they can navigate the continuum of care more smoothly. Vesper funding supports a psychiatrist to evaluate and treat patients and consult with primary care physicians to ensure a seamless and culturally sensitive treatment plan. Vesper Society funding also allowed AHS to hire part-time mental health clinicians from the community who can easily develop trust and rapport with patients.

Today, Asian Health Services provides comprehensive culturally and linguistically competent health care to 28,000 Asian/Pacific Islanders in 12 Asian languages at 14 different sites.

Vesper Society believes in a simple idea: a just society begins when everyone is well, and respected as a human being. With long-term solutions in view, we are one step closer to realizing the potential for healthy communities to thrive and prosper.