18
sahtak - June 2011
T
he Public Health Division of the Arab
American and Chaldean Council (ACC)
focuseson researchand education to im-
prove the quality of life for all program partici-
pants. Through its various programs ACC has
been able to empowerclients to take amore ac-
tive role in improving their health. One of the
keyways that ACCdoes this is through strategic
partnerships and collaborations with other
human service organizations. ACC has part-
nered with Michigan Department of Commu-
nity Healthon a project to identifyacorrelation
between smoking and diabetes in the Arabic
community.Thegoalof thisprojectwastoiden-
tify if Arabs are more susceptible to developing
diabetes because of their smoking habits. The
results have helped improve educational serv-
ices provided tothecommunityandhavegotten
members of the Arabic community more ac-
tively involved in living a healthy lifestyle.
ACC’s hope is that by gathering more rele-
vant information on the health risks that Arabs
and Chaldeansare facingwewill beable to help
themreceive the health care that they need and
fill in the gaps in services that have prevented
peoplefromreceivingthehealthservicesneeded
to live healthy, productive lives.
ACC’sTobaccoProgramworkswithclientsto
educatethemonthehealthrisksassociatedwith
smoking tobacco and hookah. Many hookah
smoking Arabs do not even think that they are
smokers and have been misled to believe that
hookah smoking is not harmful to their health.
This demonstrates the need for more educa-
tional programming for Arabs on the harmful
effects of smoking the hookah. Hookah smok-
ing is significantlymore harmful to your health
thancigarettesmoking is.Also, thesecond-hand
smokeproduced fromhookahsmoking ismuch
moredangeroustoeveryonethatisexposed toit.
ACCwill continuetoworkwith thecommunity,
other organizations, and local health depart-
ments inordertoprovidetheeducationrequired
to understand the damage that hookah smok-
ing does to everyone.
ACC’s Health Clinic in Warrendale contin-
ues toofferawide-rangeof servicestoclients. In
addition to regular health screenings and out-
patient services the clinic offers low cost blood
testing, mental health services and assistance
with getting prescription drugs. Our clinic pro-
vides services to low income families and fami-
lies that do not have health insurance. Clinic
staff also provides outreach services within the
community. The overall goal of ACC’s Health
Clinic is to ensure that all Arab and Chaldean
familiesreceivethemedicalattentiontheyneed
regardless of income level. Wewant to assist all
community members to live healthy and pro-
ductive lives.
ACC’s Substance Abuse Prevention Pro-
grams are among the largest in Michigan. We
provide services in Detroit and outer Wayne
County and in southern Oakland County. The
servicescurrentlyoffered byACC includeteach-
ing the Life Skills Training Program in nine
metro Detroit schools, after school education
and recreationprogramsforyouth, tobaccoven-
dor education, family building classes, estab-
lishing Safe and Drug Free School Zones at the
schools we work at, and collaboration with a
number of community coalitions. The overall
goalof theseprogramsistoeducateyouthonthe
harmful effects of substance abuse and provide
them with the life skills they need to live drug
free lives. To accomplish this ACC staff partner
with a number of different organizations in the
community. Through these partnershipsweare
abletoprovideaconsistentmessagetoyouthon
the dangers of drug use throughout the com-
munity.
In addition to the Life Skills program, youth
arealsooffered theopportunitytoparticipatein
the Youth Development Pride Club program.
The Pride Club represents a drug and violence
preventionprogramdesigned toinvolvemiddle-
school and high-school aged youth in peer and
community outreach. The Pride Club is youth
led, youth driven and youth inspired. The four
activityareasof focusareCommunityOutreach,
Community Service, Prevention Educationand
Drug andViolenceFreeActivities. Asamember
of PRIDE, youth will build positive peer power,
leadership, teamwork,effectivecommunication
skills, organization and planning skills and ex-
perience in communication, performing arts
and community service.
ACC’sWomen, Infants, andChildren (WIC)
program continues to grow in order to provide
vital education and resources to women and
their children. This program provides mothers
and their young childrenwith food, baby prod-
ucts, and skills they need to live healthy lives.
ACC’sfourWICofficesarecurrentlyseeingmore
than 5,000 clients a month throughout Wayne
County.Thisnumbercontinuestoincreaseevery
year.
Did you know that WIC is now providing
outstandingsupporttoourmomswhochooseto
givetheirbabythebestgifttheycangive, breast-
milk! WenowhaveaWICPeerCounselorwork-
ing in our clinics 5 days a week to provide our
newmomsandmoms-to-bewithbreastfeeding
education and support. Our goal is set high, to
encourageand supportourmoms to breastfeed
theirbabiesexclusivelyfor12months! Wearein
theprocessof creating infantfeedingclassesand
breastfeeding support groups for our WIC
moms. We currently assess our client’s needs
and thenmayprovideourmomswithmanualor
electricbreastpumps. Ourgoalsistoprovideour
workingmomswiththemeanstosucceedwhen
away from their baby. The peer counselor pro-
vide support in our clinics and well as by tele-
phone and give our mothers information,
including but not limited to: the benefits of
breastfeeding, overcoming common barriers
and getting a good start with breastfeeding, as
wellasotherbreastfeeding issuesthatmayarise.
Our peers are available by cell phone outside of
theusualworkingdaytomotherswhoareexpe-
riencing breastfeeding concerns.
ACC is also a partner in the newly started
Wayne County Breastfeeding Coalition, where
one of the primary goals is to increase the com-
munication in the professional communities.
Helping our moms get a consistent message
fromWIC, physicians and hospital staff. In the
last 3 years, ACC has had all 5 babies born to
WIC staff exclusively breastfeed for 12 months
or longer showing that this WIC team is dedi-
cated to this mission.
Providing CARF accredited mental health
services for the past 19 years, ACC’s Behavioral
Health Program is dedicated to the prevention
and treatmentof mental healthissuesand tothe
maximizing of human potential. Our behav-
ioral healthprogramprovidescrossculturalout-
patient psychotherapy and consultation and
education services for at risk adults, children,
and families. The program believes in the in-
herent ability of persons and families to change
what isstressful orproblematicforthem, and to
grow when so motivated. This is coupled with
the belief that mental health treatment can be
an effective vehicle for such change, taking into
considerationculturalandethnicfactors. ACC’s
bi-lingualstaff istrainedtoprovideculturallyap-
propriate interventions to assist in improved
quality of life.
Mental illness can be defined as a psycho-
logical or physiological pattern that occurs in
certain individuals,andwhichcausesdistressor
a disability, and is outside the realm of normal
everyday functioning. Mental illness can affect
anyone of any age, race, or religion. If you or
someone you know is dealing with amental ill-
ness, you probably need to seek the help of a
mental health professional. It is very common
for people to feel hopeless and sad, without any
ideahowtohelpthemselves. Mental illnesscan
affect a person’s ability to develop social rela-
tionships, ormaintaina joborastable living en-
vironment.
Statisticsshowthat1out6adultssufferfrom
some type of the over 200 documented mental
illnesses. Mental illness can also affect children
and adolescents. One out of every 20 children
suffers from a serious emotional disturbance
that affects their behavior at home, at school,
and in the community. One of ACC’s goals is to
increasepublicawarenessandunderstandingof
varioustypesof mental illnesses,aswellastreat-
ments that are currently available.
ACC’scomprehensivebehavioral healthpro-
gram provides services such as: Psychiatric As-
sessment and Consultation, Psycho-social
Assessment, Psychological Testing and Evalua-
tion, PsychopharmacologicalTreatment/Med-
ication Review, Case Management, Individual,
Marital and FamilyCounseling, Crisis Interven-
tion, Adult Foster Care Home Placement and
Monitoring, Grief Counseling, SubstanceAbuse
Prevention and Treatment, Community Out-
reach, Education and Advocacy, Cultural Com-
petency and SensitivityTraining, Co-Occurring
Treatment for Dually-Diagnosed patients, Vo-
cational Rehabilitation Services, Home-Based
Infant Mental Health, Assertive Community
Treatment(ACT) Program,WayneCountyNet-
work Clubhouse Program, S.H.A.P.E Pro-
gram(learnmoreatwww.shapedetroit.org),and
Trauma Recovery Center
Outpatient treatment clinics are located in
thetri-countyareaof Wayne, Oakland andMa-
comb Counties; theWayneCounty Program is
located at 62 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit,
Michigan 48203 and 16921 W. Warren, Detroit,
Michigan 48228; the Macomb County Clinic is
located at 34628 Dequindre - Suite 2, Sterling
Hts., Michigan 48310; the Oakland County
Clinic is located at 20300 CivicCenter, Suite 318,
Southfield, Michigan 48076.
For more information about ACC’s Public
Health and Behavioral Health Services please
call (248) 559-1990 or visit us at
ACC services promote
health through educa on
ACC’s Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC) program con n-
ues to grow in order to provide
vital educa on and resources to
women and their children. This
program provides mothers and
their young children with food,
baby products, and skills they
need to live healthy lives.
