UCA WAVES Youth Mental Health Collaborative

This past weekend, UCA WAVES had the honor of attending The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) Summit, an incredibly hope-filled gathering centered on storytelling, leadership, and—as always—the power of community🩵🌎 We heard deeply inspiring stories from trailblazers both on and off the stage who reminded us of why representation is more than visibility. It’s about safety, belonging, and creating lasting change. At WAVES, that mission deeply resonates with our work to support survivors and create spaces where healing stories can be told on their own terms. Heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this incredible event happen. And thank you, TAAF, for continuing to inspire us with your advocacy and action. What an amazing way to honor AAPI Heritage Month!😊🗓️ #TAAFSummit #AANHPI #StorytellingMatters #CommunityHealing #Leadership #AAPIHeritageMonth #AAPI #aapicommunity

📬‼️YOU’RE INVITED‼️📬 Taking place at the 5th United Chinese Americans Convention, our upcoming mental health summit, Community in Action, brings together youth, parents, and community leaders for a powerful gathering centered on mental health, wellness, and connection. From research and lightening talks to illumining sessions on AAPI identity and nonprofit management, this event truly has something for everyone—and you don’t want to miss it. Here’s what you need to know⬇️ ⏰ When: June 28th - July 1st 🗺️ Where: Caesars Palace, 3570 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Paradise, NV 89109 📨 Questions? Contact [email protected] 🎟️ Register: /e/2026-chinese-american-convention-tickets-1917674729739?aff=oddtdtcreator This is a chance to network, expand your skillset, make memories, and leave Las Vegas leveled up personally and professionally. Don’t miss this once-in-a-decade-event. Want to learn more? Click on the link below! 📲 /uca-waves-2026-summit/ #lasvegas #lasvegasevents #aapicommunity #AAPI #chineseamerican #convention #mentalhealth

May is an especially exciting time for us, as it's both #AAPIHeritageMonth and #MentalHealthAwarenssMonth. In honor of that, we wanted to share about what we're doing and where you can find us the next few weeks: 💙 AAPI Youth Mental Health Webinar with APHA APIC 🗓️ 5/13 | 4:00PM - 7:00 PM EST 📍 Zoom 🎟️ Register for FREE at the link: /3wsy68vs 💙 Silent War Screening at NC DHHS 🗓️ 5/14 | 12:00 PM EST 📍 N/A 🎟️ *This event is not open to the public* 💙 NAMI NC Walk 🗓️ 5/16 | 10:00 AM EST 📍 Perimeter Park | 3015 Carrington Mill Blvd, Morrisville, NC 27560 🎟️ Registration is required for this event. Learn more by clicking on the link: /7cf574up 💙 Common Roots Festival 🗓️ 5/16 | 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST 📍 Durham Central Park | 501 Foster St, Durham, NC 🎟️ This event is FREE and open to the public. RSVP at the link: /3v97d48a 💙 UCA WAVES Open House 🗓️ 5/28 | 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM EST 📍 Room 3701 | 800 Park Offices Dr, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 🎟️ This event is FREE and open to the public. RSVP at the link: /yeyj664v You can learn more about individual event details by visiting our May Events landing page, found at the link below. We hope to see some familiar faces out and about in the community!😊🏘️ 📲 Landing Page: /2026/05/12/may-2026-event-list/ #NorthCarolina #NorthCarolinaEvents #AAPI #AAPICommunity #AAPIHeritage #AAPIPride #MentalHealthAwareness

May is AAPI Heritage Month AND Mental Health Awareness Month, a powerful reminder to reflect on the intersectional nature of mental health. Swipe for 5 fast facts you should know about mental health in the AAPI Community!📱➡️ Want to see the full post, complete with links? Visit our website, ucawaves.org. #AAPI #AAPIHeritageMonth #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #AAPICommunity #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness

This Mother’s Day—and in honor of AAPI Heritage Month—UCA WAVES Founding Executive Director, Lily Chen, and Advisor, Juliana Chen, joined more than 700 participants at the annual AAPI 5K Run & Walk in Lexington🏙️🏃🏻‍♀️ Hosted by the Chinese American Association of Lexington (CAAL) and Hey Runners Club, and sponsored by the United Chinese Americans (UCA) and the UCA Community Foundation, this eco-friendly, USATF-certified race has brought communities together since 2022. From roses for moms to AAPI food tastings and finisher medals, the gathering brought together culture and connection to make for a remarkable day. Lily even got to present awards to top finishers!🥇 We want to give a special thank you to Hua Wang, President of CAAL and Board Chair of UCA National, for helping lead such a meaningful event. Here’s to celebrating heritage, wellness, and moms all in one!😊❤️ #AAPI #AAPIHeritageMonth #Wellness #MothersDay #MothersDay2026 #AAPIpride #5k #5krun

💐 Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at UCA WAVES 💐 Today we honor mothers and caregivers of all kinds—those who lead with love, heal with patience, and hold our communities together. Whether by birth, choice, or role, your impact is powerful. Your presence matters. Your wellness matters. Thank you for everything you do, seen and unseen💜 #MothersDay #UCAWAVES #MentalHealthMatters #AAPIHeritageMonth #CommunityCare #HealingTogether #WellnessForAll #MothersDay2026

Behind every statistic is a story. A family carrying silent pain. A young person struggling alone. A community taught not to talk about mental health. In honor of AAPI Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, our Executive Director Lily and longtime UCA WAVES member, Justin Chen, wrote about the urgent mental health crisis impacting AAPI communities. But equally important, they illustrated the power of culturally rooted, community-led solutions. At UCA WAVES, we’ve seen what happens when trust is built: our recent suicide prevention training filled in less than 24 hours. It’s clear that our community is ready for these conversations, and it’s our mission to help facilitate them. You can read the article now by visiting the link below, or head to our website ucawaves.org. Thank you to everyone helping us create change and save lives💜🌊 #AAPIMentalHealth #YouthSuicidePrevention #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #AAPIHeritageMonth #AAPI Article Link: https://threefifths.online/2026/05/08/making-waves-in-asian-american-youth-suicide-prevention/

Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 23rd! Thanks to our funders, we're offering FREE Mental Health First-Aid (MHFA) Training. This session includes two hours of self-paced online pre-work, followed by an instructor-led session. Here's everything you need to know: 🧠 When: 05.23.2026 | 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM 🧠 Registration: Visit the link below or scan the flier's QR code 🧠 Questions? Contact [email protected] This training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis. But you don't want to wait—there's only 30 seats available. If you want to learn more, visit the "Education" tab on our website at . Ready to register? Click on the link below. We hope to see you there! 📲/jfe/form/SV_7PadGvYwVEzqJoO?Q_CHL=qr Made possible with the help of SAMHSA, NC DHHS and the BlueCross BlueShield Foundation of North Carolina💚 #MHFA #MHFATraining #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #NorthCarolina #northcarolinaevents #mentalhealtheducation

Our monthly newsletter hit inboxes yesterday. It seems spring just keeps getting more exciting!📨🎉 From convention news to upcoming events you don’t want to miss, The Breaker keeps you in the loop on all things WAVES. If you’re not on our list, fear not: our website has links to all past editions😉 Better yet, sign up today! We are truly grateful for your support💜 📬 Join the List: /4rn7uw4e ⏰ Past Editions: /blog-feed/ #Newsletter #NewsletterSignup #AAPI #aapicommunity #ChineseAmerican #AprilRecap #AAPIvoices

Join us for a special #OpenHouse with UCA WAVES!😊🏡 In celebration of #AAPI Heritage Month and #MentalHealth Awareness Month, we’re bringing our #community together to celebrate culture, promote #wellness through engaging activities, and connect with one another. Better yet? Refreshments will be provided! Here’s everything you need to know⬇️ 🗓 When: Thursday, May 28 | 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM 🗺️ Where: Room 3701, 800 Park Offices Dr, RTP, NC Enjoy delicious treats, meaningful conversation, and a welcoming #safespace for all. We hope to see you there!

Last week marked #EarthDay. So for this edition of #WellnessWednesday, we thought what better thing to explore than the benefits of connecting with nature!🌄🪴 Spending time outside—or even bringing small, earthy practices into your routine—can reduce #stress, improve mood, and help your body reset. Research shows that time outdoors can lower #cortisol (your body’s stress hormone), boost immune function, and increase feelings of calm and connection😌 The best part? It doesn’t require a big trip or major lifestyle change. #Nature is more accessible than it might seem. If you’re feeling a little untethered lately, here are a few ways to get grounded—literally and figuratively! All you have to do is swipe➡️ P.S. Want to see the full post? Check it out on ucawaves.org!

The Silent War documentary is hitting the big screen in Monteabaro Hall at Howard County Community College tonight and tomorrow! Here's the schedule breakdown: 🗓️ Monday, April 27th 🗓️ 5:00 PM - Light Reception 6:00 PM - Film Screening (Q&A after) 🗓️ Tuesday, April 28th 🗓️ 1:00 PM - Film Screening 2:15 PM - Light refreshments & Q&A If you're located near Howard County Maryland, we hope you consider stopping by! Want to learn more about the film? Visit silentwarmovie.com. #filmscreening #film #AAPI #AAPIvoices #AAPImentalhealth #documentary #SilentWarDocumentary #SilentWarFilm