About Us
Collected grew out of a belief that community matters when it comes to Asian American mental health. Our program is a part of CAFAMH, a mental health nonprofit that has existed for over 18 years to serve and advocate for the needs of Chinese-American caregivers in New York City.
Mission
To empower Asian American college students with the tools and knowledge needed to sustain healthy minds and relationships.
Vision
A strengthened and connected community of Asian American young adults.
Our programs provide support in three core categories:
Psychoeducation
Asian American students are facing a mental health crisis. While they face many stressors and report symptoms of depression and anxiety at high levels, they rarely seek out professional support.
Our program partners with clinicians to give students a better understanding of mental illness, self-care, and caregiving. We educate students to understand the importance and process of seeking professional support for themselves and loved ones, and to advocate for better mental health resources for Asian Americans and other minorities.
Skills-based Mentorship
Racial Identity Exploration
Academics, careers, and finances are well-known stressors for Asian American students, who are burdened with the "model minority" myth. Because of this myth, they also often lack access to institutionalized mentorship resources that can help them navigate their progression from students to working adults.
Collected aims to equip students with the skills needed to address these stressors through professional skills workshops and access to Asian American mentors.
Most Asian Americans go through school with little to no exposure to Asian American history, which severely stunts our collective ability to understand and communicate the experiences of being Asian in this country. The erasure of Asian American history, combined with experiences of intergenerational trauma and anti-Asian racism, can have significant negative impacts on mental wellness.
Our program gives students the space and resources to understand their own racial identity and that of the broader Asian American community through curriculums designed in partnership with educators and social activists.
CAFAMH and Collected have a long history of working with some incredible partners, including...
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, NYC Commission on Human Rights, Massachusetts General Hospital’s Clay Center, NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health, Asian American Legal and Defense Fund, RAISE, Chinese American Planning Council, Chinese American Sunshine House, Hunter College, San Francisco State University, Stop AAPI Hate, and many more.