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Psychosocial Measures for Asian
American Populations: Tools for Direct Practice and Research
Okura
Mental Health Leadership
Foundation
The Okura Mental Health Leadership was
created through the vision of Mr. Pat and Mrs. Lilly Okura. Following
Mr. Okura's distinguished career at the National Institute of Mental Health,
they recognized the need to educate promising Asian American and Pacific
Islander mental health professions in how mental health services and policies
are developed and shaped. The Okura Mental Health Leadership Foundation,
Inc. was founded on October 1, 1988, and is incorporated in the State
of Maryland as a non-profit, tax-exempt public foundation.
The mission of the foundation
is to foster and promote education, research and services in the areas
of mental health and human services. It is also to foster and promote
leadership by providing fellowships, scholarships, stipends and grants
for promising Asian Pacific American professionals, students and relevant
and related organizations. The foundations seeks to support
and conduct activities, meetings, conferences, symposiums, publications
and related activities to a) stimulate Asian Pacific Americans to enter
the mental health and human service fields and b) pursue and assume national
and international leadership roles. The
Okura Mental Health Leadership Foundation, Inc. is organized exclusively
for charitable, educational and scientific purposes. It makes grants available
to individuals and organizations that carry out the mission.
Activities
The Okura Mental Health Leadership Foundation
conducts annual leadership seminars called "Week in Washington"
to provide young, promising Asian Pacific American leaders in the fields
of mental health and human services to learn, experience and build on
knowledge needed to be a leader in their respective communities locally
and nationally. Over seventy individuals to date have benefited from this
opportunity to spend a week in Washington, D.C., attending meetings with
members of Congress, national leaders in areas of health and human services,
administrators, of national organizations, and other national leaders
or role models. Okura Fellows participate in an Alumni Association to
continue their group activities. Many stay in contact with each other
informally or through other professional networks. Many
of the Fellows have attained advancements in their chosen fields and have
furthered their endeavors by their leadership training provided by the
Okura Foundation.
In addition to the annual "Week
in Washington" leadership seminar, the Okura Foundation created a
White House Fellowship in 1995. These White House Interns have worked
under the supervision of the Deputy Director of the White House Office
of Public Liaison. They are given an invaluable opportunity to represent
Asian and Pacific Islander communities and to learn how community issues
and concerns can result in federal, state, and local policy.
The "Week in Washington" leadership
seminars and the White House Fellow Program have been successful due to
the support and encouragement of many dedicated contributors to the Foundation.
To find out more about the Okura Mental Health Foundation
and/or how to apply to become a Fellow, please contact Mr. Pat and Mrs.
Lilly Okura, 6303 Friendship Court, Bethseda, Maryland 20817.
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