Association > WORKSHOP PROJECT PROTECH: COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECT IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC FOR THE CHINESE COMMUNITY

WORKSHOP PROJECT PROTECH: COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECT IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC FOR THE CHINESE COMMUNITY

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Kenneth Po-Lun Fung (he/him), MD FRCPC MSc FAPA DFCPA, Clinical Director, Asian Initiative in Mental Health, Toronto Western Hospital, Associate Professor and Director of Global Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Josephine Pui-Hing Wong(she/her), RN, PhD, Professor and Research Chair in Urban Health, Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Faculty of Community Services, Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Status-only), University of Toronto, The X Center for Immigration and Settlement, X University

 

Abstract

As COVID was first identified in China, the Chinese Canadian population has been facing significantly increased overt racism, including verbal and physical assault. The pandemic has exacerbated existing inequities in their social determinants of health, and this impact is made worse by the lack of culturally appropriate information and services. The myth of the model minority makes these issues faced by Chinese and Asians invisible and neglected. Project PROTECH (Pandemic Rapid-response Optimization to Enhance Community-Resilience and Health) is a community-based research project in response to the pandemic for the Chinese community. Its core components include an information hub, a support line, community engagement initiatives and forums, and a community training program based on the Acceptance and Commitment to Empowerment (ACE) model to build resilience and psychological flexibility in the face of pandemic stress and social injustice. The workshop will outline the project components, share some of the findings, and engage participants in interactive exercises based on the ACE model.

 

Learning Objectives

At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

  1. Identify the long history of racism and social injustice faced by Chinese and Asian Canadians
  2. Describe the impact of the pandemic in exacerbating racism and social inequities for the Asian population, and discuss potential mitigating strategies and responses
  3. Reflect on individual and collective value-based actions to promote social justice using the Acceptance and Commitment to Empowerment (ACE) model

 

References

  1. Fung K, Liu JJ, Vahabi M, Li AT, Zurowski M, Wong JP. Protocol for the Development and Rapid-Response Deployment of Pandemic Acceptance and Commitment to Empowerment Response (PACER) Training. JMIR Research Protocols, 2021. doi: 10.2196/33495. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34726602.
  2. Sato C, Adumattah A, Abulencia KM, Garcellano PD, Li ATW, Fung K, Poon MKL, Vahabi M, Wong JPH. COVID-19 Mental Health Stressors of Health Care Providers in the Pandemic Acceptance and Commitment to Empowerment Response (PACER) Intervention: A Qualitative Study. JMIR Formative Research 2022. doi: 10.2196/35280
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