A Right to Heal: Mental Health in Diverse Communities a Listening Session with the Laotian Community of Fresno

In 2020, the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC) contracted CPEHN (California Pan-Ethnic Health Network) for 3 years to engage and uplift diverse voices to influence what local programs and services are funded in their communities. Year 1 and Year 2 accomplishments can be found here.

At the local level, Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries (FIRM) collaborated with CPEHN and its statewide partner the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) to facilitate a listening session with the Laotian Community of Fresno. A total of 83 individuals attended with 63 people participating in 7 small group discussions. Most groups included people ages 35 years and older with one group composed of older adults. The majority of participants had been living in the U.S. for 10 years and ~25% were primarily Lao-speaking.