Samoan language only. 

 AMATA SAYS AMERICAN SAMOA TO GET MENTAL HEALTH GRANT 

May 27, 2003

-- White House Commissioner Aumua Amata Coleman, the sole Pacific Island Member of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders last evening spoke at a reception honoring Pacific Island attendees of the 2003 Mental Health Block Grant Conference being held this week in Washington, D.C. Participants for American Samoa include ASMHPAC Chairman Rev. Ned Ripley, Kathryn McCutchan-Tupua who is attending the conference as state data person, along with state planners Diana Georgina and Dr. Rohan Lal. Aumua was accompanied by her daughter Kirsten Amata, who currently serves as Communications/Marketing Coordinator for the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)in Washington.

American Samoa Mental Health Planning Advisory Council Chairman Rev. Ned Ripley said, "I appreciate this opportunity to network with Council chairs from other states and territories and to be able to share information with my colleagues on how the Council's primary function is in advocacy for improving Mental Health services to our Territory." 

Kathryn McCutchan-Tupua indicated that this conference was organized specifically for Pacific Islanders. Said Katie, "We're always very appreciative of the opportunity to participate in federal conferences, especially this one because it allows more interaction with federal project officers and resource people on disaster mental health and suicide prevention. Tomorrow's sessions will deal with grant writing and children's mental health issues." 

Amata said, "I am pleased to announce to our people that the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has in its work program the extension of the Olmstead Program to our territory." Up to this point, the program has operated only in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Caribbean territories. 

The Olmstead program is a block grant that is awarded to the States and U.S. territories to assist them in the development of community-based systems of care. In this capacity, CMHS, which is part of DHHS's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, provides the necessary technical assistance to the states and territories in several areas, including the development of mental health plans, and planning for changes in the health care environment which will impact the community mental health system. 

"This is wonderful news," said Amata, "and I'm pleased DHHS is taking this long-needed step." 

Earlier this month, in recognition of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson launched two new online health resources of special interest to Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Native Samoans and other Pacific Islanders. The new Web sites expand on the department's "Steps to a Healthier U.S. initiative," which underscores the President's call to action for healthy lifestyles through public awareness of disease prevention efforts. 

"Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander communities are affected disproportionately by cardiovascular disease, cancer, hepatitis B, tuberculosis and other diseases," Secretary Thompson said. "At HHS, we're increasing our online presence to bring culturally relevant and appropriate health information and services to their fingertips. Together, these two new resources provide a rich network of complementary information, and offer broad-based knowledge of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. " 

Starting today, the department's consumer oriented healthfinder(r) Web site will include a new section devoted to Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations. Available at