Episode #26 - Dr. Pata Suyemoto on Raising the voices of Lived Experience

Asian Women for Health · Episode #26: Raising the Voices of Lived Experience

​May recognizes both Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and National Mental Health Awareness Month. As we navigate our way through COVID, each of us faces challenges that impact our mental health. Many have experienced personal loss and changes at work and in our caregiving responsibilities. The need for community support and healing grows every day.
 
In this podcast episode, Dr. Pata Suyemoto returns as our special guest (link to earlier interview/Episode 4).  Pata has long been a champion of health and racial equity as a feminist scholar, writer, educator, and mental health activist. 
 
As the Training/Program Director for the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) and the Director of the National Asian American Pacific Islander Empowerment Network (NAAPIEN), Pata is reshaping the conversation around mental wellness by engaging more people with lived experiences to share their stories.
 
Pata has spoken about being a suicide attempt survivor and her struggles with chronic depression and PTSD.  She believes there is tremendous value in claiming and sharing one’s lived experiences, knowledge, and perspectives to benefit one another and to help inform health practice and policy.
 
Learn more about these efforts and upcoming events. Connect and get involved!
 
Upcoming Events:
*May 18-19, 2022*
21st Annual MA Suicide Prevention Conference
https://web.cvent.com/event/765b74af-2164-4644-a87a-247b7dcf9e89/summary
 
July 30, 2022
13th Annual Asian American Mental Health Forum
Building Resilience: Healing Trauma Across Generations
https://www.asianwomenforhealth.org/asian-american-mental-health-forum.html
 
Resource Links:
- NAAPIMHA 
https://www.naapimha.org
 
- NAAPIEN Network / Email: [email protected]
 
- Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention Toolkit Resource
https://masspreventssuicide.org/widening-the-lens-exploring-the-role-of-social-justice-and-racial-equity-in-suicide-prevention
 
- Greater Boston Regional Suicide Prevention
https://www.greaterbostonpreventssuicide.org/
 
- Suicide Lifeline
1-800-273-8255
 
More About Dr. Pata Suyemoto
Pata Suyemoto is the Co-Chair for the Greater Boston Regional Suicide Prevention Coalition and the Founder and Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention (MCSP) Alliance for Equity. 
She is also a master trainer for NAAPIMHA’s Achieving Whole Health Program, a curriculum developer, and a diversity trainer. She earned her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and did her research on anti-racist education and issues of race and racism. 
 
Pata is one of the authors of Widening the Lens: Exploring the Role of Social Justice in Suicide Prevention – A Racial Equity Toolkit. She is a Co-Founder of The Breaking Silences Project, which is an artistic endeavor that educates about the high rates of depression and suicide among Asian American young women. Pata is also a member of several boards and committees including the MCSP’s Executive Committee, the planning committee for the annual Asian American Mental Health Forum, and the board of directors for the American Association of Suicidology. Her claim to fame is that she rode her bicycle across the country in the summer of 2012. 
 
*Disclaimer 
The information on this page is not intended or implied to be a substitute for individualized health care, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content in this podcast is for general information purposes only. 
 
** If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health or suicide ideation, resources are available through the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (mass.gov), the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts (namimass.org), or the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention (masspreventsuicide.org).