Funded by the American Red Cross, the Asian American Federation�s program, �Building Bridges and Leveraging Assets for Community Recovery� (subsequently referred to as �the Mental Health Project� or �MHP�) aims to increase access to culturally appropriate mental health services for September 11th affected Chinatown elders and World Trade Center victims� families. In partnership with two community-based service organizations, Asian LifeNet (ALN) and South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS), it aims to connect difficult-to-reach, high-need populations with skilled, culturally competent mental health support.

To achieve this goal, the MHP has the following objectives:

1. Provide direct mental health services to Asian American victims� families and affected Chinatown elders;
2. Increase awareness of mental health issues;
3. Bolster the process for connecting individuals in need with appropriate service providers; and
4. Enlarge the pool of qualified professionals to serve targeted AA populations via institutional arrangements.