APA Family Support Services
(Programs)

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API Family Hotline   APIFRN   APIFRN Agencies

What kind of help can you receive?

  • Addressing your child's behavioral problems
  • Stratagies for being a better parent
  • Anger management
  • Effective family communication
  • Language and acculturation issues
  • Information about community resources, health
    care and social services
  • Emotional support
  • Parent education classes and support groups
  • Drug and alcohol problems

What are the roles of the Hotline workers?

  • Sympathetic Listener
  • Counselor
  • Advocate
  • Educator
  • Facilitator

Who are the Collaborating Agencies?

  • APA Family Support Services
  • Asian Women Shelter
  • Cambodian Family Services of San Francisco
  • Department of Public Health
  • Family Services Agency of San Francisco (Talk Line)
  • Lao Seri Association
  • Office of Samoan Affairs
  • San Francisco Aids Foundation
  • School of Nursing, San Francisco State University
  • Support for Families and Children with Disabilities
  • The Vietnamese Community Health Promotion Project

Interested in being a Hotline Volunteer?
Please contact Amy Yu at (415) 206-5450,
apa@apasfgh.org or
fill out our ON-LINE APPLICATION.


Hotline Success Stories...
The names of the people have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the clients.

A Family Struggles with a Daughter's Multiple Suicide Attempts...
Mr. Lee, a Chinese father called the hotline because his 16-year-old daughter has a history of suicide attempts and behavioral problems. Previously hospitalized and treated by a psychiatrist, she refused to cooperate during the treatments. Unable to attend regular school, she is now home schooled but remains uncooperative with her parents. Together, Mr. Lee and the volunteer discussed parenting styles and strategies. Discovering that Mr. and Mrs. Lee were afraid of their daughter and gave in easily to her demands, the volunteer recommended parenting education classes and family counseling. Reluctant to consider family counseling because it had not been helpful in the past, Mr. Lee agreed to try again with his wife even if their daughter refused to attend. After receiving the referrals for family therapists, he said emotionally he felt better.

An Abusive Mother-in-Law...
Lao Ming, a monolingual Chinese woman, called the hotline because her husband was not protecting her from her physically abusive mother-in-law whose attacks had escalated to cause a head injury that sent the client to the hospital. Lao needed help to pay for the medical bills from her injuries and was desperate to get help. The hotline volunteer counseled her on domestic violence and referred her to the Asian Women's Shelter, to San Francisco Neighborhood Legal Assistance Foundation and Nihonmachi Legal Services.

His Suicide Would Have Orphaned His Children...
Trong, a Cambodian man, called the hotline because he felt suicidal. He has two young children to care for and had been arguing a great deal with his girlfriend. He felt overwhelmed and hopeless about his responsibilities and his life, but he did not have an immediate plan to kill himself. Addressing the client's stability and safety, the volunteer recommend counseling, followed up with Trong and involved the hotline coordinator. Trong trusted the service enough to follow the advice and received counseling and help.

When Help is Given, A Life is Returned...
Mrs. Buenoventura, a 40-year-old Filipina immigrant with three children, called the Hotline during the pregnancy of her third child because she had felt suicidal for some months. She had problems in her marriage and with her in-laws, difficulties in adjusting to a new culture, hardships in child care responsibilities, and financial instability. Mrs. Buenoventura was very depressed, confused and cried almost constantly with the hotline volunteer who provided supportive counseling, information and referral services on child care and mental health services. Mrs. Buenoventura recovered from her emotional and psychological issues. She reported that she felt better and denied any new suicidal thoughts. She has cooperated with her medical care and her baby's follow-up care. Although she still reported on-going marital conflict, she continues to live with her husband and is capable of dealing with her personal and parental concerns.

Families Learn To Respect Each Other...
Mrs. Chow, a Chinese mother, called the hotline about her 21-year-old daughter because she was very concerned about her daughter's social skills and relationships with others. Her daughter is very shy and stays in her room all day, avoiding all interactions even with relatives. She has no friends, does not go out with her siblings or help her mother around the house. Neither mother nor daughter can give any reason for the girl's behavior that prevents the girl from having a normal life. They came to APA for counseling, but it was very clear that although Mrs. Chow was very concerned for her daughter's welfare, she did not respect her daughter's opinions. Counseling helped Mrs. Chow understand that her behavior was not helping her daughter. She worked to improve her relationship with her daughter.

 

 

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Family Support Center:
730 Commercial Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
Tel:(415) 616-9797
Fax:(415) 616-9796
Email: apa@apasfgh.org
Network, Counseling and Support Center:
657 Jackson Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
Tel:(415) 617-0061
Fax:(415) 617-0064
Email: apa@apasfgh.org