MISSION
Christian Asian Mental Health (CAMH) seeks
to advance compassion and care about
mental wellness for every person.

INTRODUCTION
You’re invited to partner with CAMH to advance compassion
and care for the mental wellness of every Asian in America.
CAMH aims to resolve the mental health crisis in partnership
with you and other like-minded partners and organizations.

The Erasing Shame podcast (launched in 2018 by
DJ Chuang and Eunice Lee Hua) was a precursor and
inspiration to launch CAMH. CAMH will incorporate
the Erasing Shame podcast into its digital media
programming to encourage Christian Asian Americans
about mental health. Here’s a story from one listener,
titled, “This podcast changed my life!!”
A STORY OF LIFE
CHANGE

For so many years of my adult life, I struggled with so many questions and
internal conflict of who I was as a person and the thoughts/feelings I had as a
2nd-gen Asian American. I carried so much shame that I didn’t even know that
I felt certain things or why I did what I did, as well as why my parents did what
they did. It helped so much to know I am not alone in my struggles/feelings,
as well as to be able to put healthy productive language to my pain & hear
from therapists & experts about something that is so hidden from society and
excluded from normal daily conversation. I sat in a constant cloud of confusion,
depression or doubt, thinking what is wrong with me and why do I feel what I
feel. I never thought to seek out help in the past because I didn’t know I needed
it, and this podcast gave me courage to begin my healing journey and take back
control in my life. Thanks so much DJ for having the courage to start this podcast!

RESOLVING THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

The world’s mental health crisis has only increased over
time, especially after the overwhelming season of the global
COVID-19 pandemic. The need for mental health care and
support is especially overwhelming among Asian American
and Asian communities. Lack of accessibility, affordability,
and availability makes it challenging for Asian Americans to
get professional health care. Even worse, Asian cultures have
perpetuated stigma and shame that alienates those who are
desperately in need of mental health care.
Health care providers and research are doing as much as they
can, but it’s not enough to serve the needs of many more who
are suffering. Christian Asians and Asian Americans need
compassion and care for their mental health.
CAMH will actively encourage, educate, and empower mental
wellness in communities of faith through online platforms
and in-person programs. CAMH will make mental wellness
more accessible by providing better navigation of affordable
and accessible resources. And, CAMH will collaborate
with like-minded partners and organizations to serve our
communities most effectively and efficiently.

ORGANIZATIONAL
BACKGROUND
CAMH is launching in 2023 with a long-term commitment to serving Asian and Asian American
communities of faith, as an initiative of Asian American Christian Collaborative. CAMH desires to
serve beyond English and also in every Asian language as resources and opportunities avail.
CAMH will primarily use a digital media approach towards stopping the stigma and erasing the
shame around mental health. CAMH’s posture is being a network of networks that collaborates well
with many other partners by highlighting and referring to the good works they’re doing. And, CAMH
will partner with Asian American churches so they become known as safe places for hurting people
to receive compassion and care for their mental health recovery.
Yes, every Asian and Asian American church can be the hands of Jesus by being a caring spiritual
community that supports people who have mental health challenges. And, the church can provide
something that the secular world of psychology cannot—the spiritual resources from our loving and
caring God.

WHY NOW?
This work is urgently needed because lives are at stake and churches are the most
strategic place to provide compassion and care:
• Asian American young adults are the only racial group with suicide as their leading
cause of death.
• Asian Americans are 50% less likely than other racial groups to seek mental health
services. (over 1,300 Asian Americans die by suicide each year. cf. CDC)
• Asian Americans have a 17.30% overall lifetime rate of any psychiatric disorder and a
9.19% 12-month rate (National Latino and Asian American Study)
• 54% of practicing Christians say they have at least one relational or emotional / mental
health issue that impacts their relationships. (cf. Barna)
• “Individuals who are struggling with mental health are more likely to go to a clergy
member before a mental health provider or physician.”
• Churches bring together more Asian Americans every week than anything else.
• Churches can provide something that nothing else can: compassion and care from God’s
power to love and heal, along with belonging to a supporting community.
• Asian American Christians are estimated at 9.4 million (42% of the overall 22.4M Asian
population, cf. Pew Research).
• CAMH is focused on reaching people through social media and local churches. With
over 9,000 Asian churches in America, averaging 100 in attendance, that’s 900,000
people.
• There’s a lot at stake! If the mental health crisis remains with status quo of current
efforts, we will continue to experience tragic loss of many lives. Each suicide affects
around 115 lives, with 1 in 5 reporting that this experience had a devastating
impact. That’s 23 more people devastated. cf. https://nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/
September-2018/The-Ripple-Effect-of-Suicide

THE FINANCIAL NEED
In the year 2023, CAMH will launch in
Southern California and plans to do the
following:
Total Budget = $100,000
Programs = $60,000
Operations = $30,000
Administrative = $10,000

Programs
To encourage the public
50 podcast episodes @ $300/ea = $15,000
To educate churches
26 in-person seminars @ $500/ea = $13,000
To empower churches
12 in-person training workshops @ 750/ea = $9,000
To encourage & educate Christians
1 hybrid conference [$10,000]
Other expenses (collaboration, travel, collateral, etc.)
[$13,000]
Partnership Opportunity
(5 Years)
2 @ $125,000
4 @ $50,000
10@ $5,000

CONCLUSION
Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial grouping, with
a population of 22.4 million in 2019 and projected to surpass
46 million by 2060 (Pew Research). The church has its greatest
opportunity to show its love and care for Asian Americans for
their life today and for eternity by supporting their mental health
as a community of faith, love, and hope. CAMH is committed to
this vision and we will do what we can with what we have. With
your partnership, we can do so much more together to serve
more churches and more people.
Web: camh.network Jefferson Lee : 714-788-6846
Email: hello@camh.network DJ Chuang: 949-243-7260