Empowering Our Community

Bhalakushari is a research project between Lehigh University and the Bhutanese Community in Harrisburg to better understand and support the mental well-being of older Bhutanese communities in the U.S. Our Study Goals Listen to stories of support We want to hear how Bhutanese community members aged 50 and older find social support through friends, family, and community—and how that support affects their mental well-being. Understand long-term challenges and strengths Over the next three years, we will track how life before and after moving to the U.S. has shaped the mental health of Bhutanese individuals aged 50 and older. Learn from Caregivers We will listen to community members who are caring for adults aged 50 and older and study how caregiving affects both their mental health and the well-being of those they care for.

Pathway to Hope is a community initiative focused on suicide prevention and mental health awareness Youth Mental Health First Aid Training In this full-day training, you’ll learn how to help young people ages 12-18. Topics include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, bullying, social media, substance use, and ADHD. “Your mind is like a garden. With care, it will bloom beautifully.” — Unknown Who should take yMHFA? Parents Family members Guardians Caregivers Teachers and school staff Coaches Camp counselors Youth group leaders Health and human services workers If you are interested in taking this training, please contact our trainers. Trainers Narad Adhikari - nadhikari@bcharrisburgpa.org Bhim Thapaliya - bthapaliya@bcharrisburgpa.org Teen Mental Health First Aid Training In this two-day training, teens learn how to help each other through hard times. Topics include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, bullying, social media, substance use, and ADHD. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Take that step today. No matter how small, every step forward counts” — ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu Who should take tMHFA? High school students in grades 9-12 Teenagers ages 14-18 If you are interested in taking this training, please contact our trainers. Trainers Ashika Dhaurali - adhaurali@bcharrisburgpa.org Melina Dhital - mdhital@bcharrisburgpa.org QPR Gatekeeper Training QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. QPR can be learned in our Gatekeeper course in as little as one hour. According to the Surgeon General’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2001), a gatekeeper is someone in a position to recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. “This life. This night. Your story. Your hope. It matters. All of it matters.” — Jamie Tworkowski Who should take QPR? Anyone aged 16 or 18 and older If you are interested in taking this training, please contact our trainers. Trainers Ashika Dhaurali - adhaurali@bcharrisburgpa.org Melina Dhital - mdhital@bcharrisburgpa.org Narad Adhikari - nadhikari@bcharrisburgpa.org Bhim Thapaliya - bthapaliya@bcharrisburgpa.org Keshav Ghimirey - kghimirey@bcharrisburgpa.org Cultural Provider Trainings This is a 45-minute to 1.5-hour cultural training for mental health service providers about Bhutanese culture to enable them to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health treatment and services. “Cultural competence is the ability of a person to effectively interact, work, and develop meaningful relationships with people of various cultural backgrounds” — Nebraska Extension Publications Who should take our Cultural Provider Training? Mental health clinics Hospitals Police Officers School staff If you are interested in taking this training, please contact our trainers. Trainers Melina Dhital - mdhital@bcharrisburgpa.org Chiya Talk Chiya Talk is a mental health town hall. It comprises an afternoon of community dialogue centered on mental health and care in our post-resettlement lives. It typically features a panel discussion, storytelling circle, open mic, the Wall of Hope, and a resource corner. Authentic refreshments and a light lunch are provided. “Our Chiya Talk sessions are an accessible and sustainable intervention to build mutual support within the community” — Ashika Dhaurali, Project Coordinator, Pathway to Hope Who should come to Chiya Talk? Anyone and everyone. No age limits. If you are interested in being a part of Chiya Talk, please contact our facilitators. Facilitators Ashika Dhaurali - adhaurali@bcharrisburgpa.org Melina Dhital - mdhital@bcharrisburgpa.org

We supported individuals from the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community in addressing key psychosocial and socioeconomic stressors through a two-month pilot project. During this period, we served six participants and addressed needs, including welfare assistance, housing, mental health services, and domestic violence prevention. This project was made possible through funding from the CDC Health Prevention Block Grant, distributed through the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Dauphin County to our organization.