Different cultures deal with mental illness quite differently, which poses a significant challenge to mental health service providers in an area such as Sonoma County, with extensive multicultural subpopulations.

 

One of the challenges in tailoring mental heath services to  meet the needs of a particular cultural group, says Rosemary Milbrath, Director of the Sonoma County chapter of the National Association on Mental Illness, is first defining exactly who that population is.

 

One of the goals of mental health service providers, Milbrath adds, is developing early intervention measures to anticipate and counter some of the stresses that may cause problems later in life. She lauds the Redwood Empire Chinese Association for their proactive prorams in that area.