AGENCY DESCRIPTION                

Agency Mission: ACRS, grounded in a commitment to social justice, provides services that advance the health, well-being, dignity and empowerment of Asian and Pacific Islanders and other communities experiencing disparities in health, human services and education.

Populations Served: The Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) Behavioral Health (BH) program targets mainly low income (or no income) limited English proficient Asian and Pacific American (APA) adults who suffer from chronic mental illness or co-occurring disorders (mental health illness with chemical dependency). We target the AAPI population because it has historically been underserved in both the mental health and substance use disorder field due to language barriers, cultural stigma, and service system barriers.  The Aging and Adult Services (AAS) program serve mainly low-income (or no income) limited English proficient Asian and Pacific American (APA) adults.

NOTE: The Children, Youth & Families (CYF) program serves Asian Pacific Americans from the King County area including immigrants and refugees.  Some of the populations that CYF program serves are at-risk youth and may also be served by the BH and RS programs. 

Services Offered: ACRS provides comprehensive adult and children’s mental health counseling as well as other services listed below and on the ACRS website:

http://www.acrs.org/services/. We employ holistic approaches used to improve the quality of life of the individual, beyond the mental illness they may be facing.  We match consumers with staff who share the same language, culture, and immigration experience, and are skilled in culturally competent mental health counseling.  Counseling is provided according to the consumer’s needs, at times (and locations) that are accessible for the consumer, at ACRS’ main offices or at their homes in the community.  In addition to counseling and therapy services, we run programs that focus on creating a controlled space for APAs with chronic mental illness and/or substance use disorder to learn skills, enjoy leisure time, and form social networks in a culturally competent and linguistically accessible context.

The Queer Opportunities to Lead, Organize & Reflect (QOLOR) program aims to address sexual assault prevention and youth autonomy by promoting mental health and wellbeing in a safe, culturally conscious, and affirming community meeting space. As QOLOR, we specifically support 2SLGBTQIA+-identifying BIPOC Youth and Allies and provide them an opportunity to learn and explore topics on intersectional identities such as race, gender, and sexuality with like-minded individuals. We also support these students' socioemotional learning and academic excellence through individual case management and group sessions using strategies that include motivational interviewing, crisis intervention/prevention, positive reinforcement etc.

In QOLOR, we facilitate 2 different groups. Our lunch group focuses on exploring intersectional identities, fostering an inclusive/safe space, and building community with one another. Our after-school club titled Kindness Alliance focuses on sexual assault/domestic violence prevention and healthy relationship building through a LGBTQ+ lens.

Assisting the QOLOR group and facilitators on a weekly basis with tasks which include (but are not limited to): setting up rooms & activities, collecting supplies, serving food, and attending off-site field trips.

Contribute to QOLOR, (Queer Opportunities to Lead, Organize, & Reflect) wellness, and identity-oriented arts and sexual assault and domestic violence prevention group programming for Seattle-based LGBTQ+ middle school and/or high school youth. Additionally, support the day-to-day activities of the QOLOR Program at ACRS.
Co-leading the QOLOR group on a weekly basis with facilitators, including setting up rooms & activities, collecting supplies, serving food, and attending off-site field trips.
Outreach at local Seattle Public schools, events, organizations, etc. to promote and recruit for QOLOR group including giving classroom presentations.
Assisting facilitators with completing Administrative work associated with running the QOLOR group including coordinating field trips, events, guest speakers, reports and documentation.

N/A

Usually, we try to provide general gift card around holiday time.
Discount at our coffee shop and lunch site.

Ability and/or interest in working with young people.
Interest and/or ability in working with LGBTQ+ youth

Speaking an ANHPI language is helpful but not required.

Apply at www.bit.ly/ACRSINTERNAPP