Training Workshop on U.S. Mental Health Service

The Workshop is sponsored by the NYU-ECNU Institute for Social Development at NYU Shanghai.

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Workshop Introduction

This training provides an opportunity for the audience to learn the U.S. mental health system and how social workers function as a major provider in this system. The audience will also learn practice knowledge that they can apply to their work as a community social worker in Shanghai.

Specifically, the audience of this training will learn:

1. Mental health system in the United States: How the U.S. society deals with its members who suffer from mental disorders, and the issues and challenges in the system.
2. Social Work as a profession in the U.S. mental health system: Clinical social workers’ roles and functions; the regulations that guide clinical social workers’ practice, and the challenges and issues face them.
3. Common mental disorders and treatment models: Knowledge and techniques clinical social workers use to take care of people who suffer from mental health problems.
4. Social work practice for geriatric mental health

Speaker: Teddy Chen, Ph.D.

Teddy Chen, Ph.D. LCSW, a New York State licensed clinical social worker, is the Director of Mental Health Bridge Program at Charles B. Wang Community Health Center in New York City. The Bridge Program is part of the health center’s primary health care system. It is a nationally recognized model program that integrates mental health and primary health care services. The program’s service has grown more than 10 folds since its inception in 1998. Dr. Chen established the program’s service structure and protocols, and he is in charge of the day to day operation.

Dr. Chen has extensive experience in providing mental health service to the Chinese American community. He is a founding board member of the Chinese American Family Alliance for Mental Health in New York City, a support group for the family caregivers of people suffering from mental disorder. He is also a board member of the New York Coalition for Asian American Mental Health, an advocacy group to improve mental health service available to Asian Americans. He has published book chapters and research studies about Asian American mental health issues. He has been giving conference presentations on cross cultural mental health issues and improving access to mental health services for Asian Americans. Dr. Chen earned his Master of Science in Social Work and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University in New York City.