Steinhardt faculty and students—alongside researchers, clinicians, educators, and community leaders—discussed ways to strengthen culturally responsive care.
Event organizers, including Isabel Ching, executive director of Hamilton–Madison House; the Lotus Project team; and Steinhardt researchers. Credit: The Lotus Project.
On April 23, NYU Steinhardt co-hosted a full-day workshop entitled Community Trauma and Well-Being: Trauma-Informed Care for Asian American/Asian Children and Families in the NYC Metropolitan Area. The event brought together students, researchers, clinicians, educators, and community leaders to address mental health challenges in Asian American communities and strengthen culturally responsive care.
The program was a collaborative effort between Hamilton-Madison House; The Lotus Project, which was founded by alum Tooru Nemoto (PhD ’88, Community Psychology); Public Health Institute; LaGuardia Community College; Richmond Area Multi-Services Inc.; the National Child Traumatic Stress Network; and a research team in Steinhardt’s Department of Applied Psychology.
The Steinhardt research team includes Department Vice Chair and Associate Professor of Applied Psychology Lisa Suzuki; Chief of Staff and Senior Lead of Japan Mental Health Initiatives at One Mind Haruka Kokaze (BS ’23, Applied Psychology; MA ’24, Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness); and Kyoko Toyama (PhD ’05, Counseling Psychology), professor in the Counseling Department and the College Discovery Program at LaGuardia Community College City University of New York.
Panelists at the event. Credit: Antony Wong.
The Community Trauma and Well-Being event built on several years of work from Suzuki and her team validating a race-based traumatic stress symptom scale in Asian Americans. A previous series of community events designed to expand research engagement was funded by several internal grants, including NYU Steinhardt’s Community Impact and Innovation Grant and the C.V. Starr Fund for Asian/Pacific/American Research at NYU.
“Our group has been working for years on understanding race-based trauma in Asian Americans, which includes extensive outreach efforts to more than 600 community organizations across the United States,” says Suzuki. “This workshop reflects how that research, combined with strong partnerships, can create meaningful spaces for dialogue and collaboration.”
The workshop’s agenda focused on community challenges such as intergenerational trauma, stigma surrounding mental health care, and barriers to accessing culturally competent services. Participants attended panels that covered topics including lived experiences, community well-being, and youth mental health, as well as explored resources from national organizations to support trauma-informed practices in the New York City area.
“By bringing together this uniquely diverse set of constituents, this workshop didn’t just offer new knowledge and resources—it rekindled purpose, reminding attendees of the impact we can make when we learn together and act together,” says Sudha Arunachalam, vice dean for research and professor of Communicative Sciences and Disorders. “This workshop beautifully reflected Steinhardt’s mission. Although our School is hugely multidisciplinary, we share a commitment to real-world impact grounded in a holistic understanding of human well-being and the lived experiences of our communities.”
Sudha Arunachalam speaks at the event. Credit: Antony Wong.
A key feature of Community Trauma and Well-Being was its emphasis on cross-disciplinary and community-based perspectives.
“What stayed with me was the lived experience panel,” says Kokaze. “Having struggled with an eating disorder during my time at NYU, I know firsthand how much it matters to hear these stories and to know you aren't alone. That's especially true for Asian American communities, where stigma and silence can make finding those stories even harder. When lived experience sits alongside insights from across disciplines, care becomes more accessible and meaningful for everyone.”
The event also reflected the strength of long-standing professional networks and mentorship.
“Working with The Lotus Project and Hamilton-Madison House was inspiring because of their focus on the importance of addressing the issues and challenges Asian American communities are faced with,” says Toyama. “This workshop gave students, administrators, clinicians, educators, and more a place to be in the same room and work through problems and opportunities together.”
Funding for Community Trauma and Well-Being was provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Outreach partners include the Asian American/Asian Research Institute, Potluck Asian America, and Japanese Medical Society of America.
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