SASIC Series, The Rest of the Story, Episode 3: Emotional Health with Kristin Tiernan and Hem Acharya

Send us Fan MailImagine trying to treat something the person in front of you can't name — because in their language, the word for it means something closer to madness.That's where this episode begins. Kristin Tiernan, a clinical psychologist, and Hem Acharya, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, are part of the behavioral-health team at HealthPoint. Their work starts with a problem most providers never face: in Dari and Pashto, "mental health" can translate as crazy, and a diagnosis can feel like a threat to a family's standing, safety, and future in this country.Kristin and Hem take us through what it actually takes to help. Starting with the need to first slow down. How distress hides in the body, in headaches and dizziness and "too much thinking." Why a screening questionnaire can hide the truth, even when translated into the patient’s language, and how to turn the form into a conversation instead of a verdict. And why the relationship between provider and patient itself, the thing no metric can capture, turns out to be the strongest medicine.Hem speaks with rare honesty about his own life, and about a definition of the work he's arrived at: that he'd rather not call it mental health at all. He'd call it emotional health.This episode discusses trauma and mental illness. If you're struggling, help is available — resources are in the show notes.SASIC was funded by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement and delivered by the International Rescue Committee in partnership with HealthPoint and Harborview Medical Center.Thank you to Safa Aynoor, medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine, for editing assistance.Hosted and produced by Dr. Duncan Reid.If you or someone you know needs helpCall 988 or the Regional Crisis Line: 206-461-3222Trained volunteers and mental health professionals from Crisis Connections help people on the phone, connect people to services or can send mobile crisis teams to respond in-person.Call 911 if the mental health crisis poses a threat to life or safety. In South King County, crisis counselors in 911 call centers support people who call related to a mental health or drug or alcohol use crisis.Get an appointment within 24 hoursYou can get an appointment with a mental health or substance use provider for yourself or someone you’re helping. They can connect you to treatment and services you want. For appointments related to substance use: Contact the Washington Recovery Line: 866-789-1511. For appointments related to mental health: Contact 988 or the Regional Crisis Line: 206-461-3222. https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dchs/human-social-services/behavioral-health-recovery/crisis-servicesVisit EthnoMed.org for additional resources. Follow us on YouTube and Instagram @EthnoMedUW