Episode Summary
Mr. Pak Chau, and our host, Indrias Kassaye highlight the importance of culture, community, and alternative treatment options in the mental health field. Pak Chau is a master’s fellow at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and is slated to graduate in July of 2022. He is interested in using technology to bridge gaps in care, identifying public health inequities, and providing culturally and linguistically appropriate psychiatric care to minority populations.
Episode Notes
Season 2 of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up!” is in full swing with episode 3 guest, Mr. Pak Chau, and our host, Indrias Kassaye. Together, Pak and Indrias highlight the importance of culture, community, and alternative treatment options in the mental health field.
Pak Chau is a master’s fellow at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and is slated to graduate in July of 2022. He is interested in using technology to bridge gaps in care, identifying public health inequities, and providing culturally and linguistically appropriate psychiatric care to minority populations.
Pak Chau comes from a Chinese immigrant family who settled in New Jersey following the British handover of Hong Kong to China. Growing up, Pak was the only English speaker in his household, which put a lot of pressure on him. At a very young age his language skills became essential to helping his parents navigate the healthcare system, filling insurance claims and communicating with English speaking doctors. When Pak began looking into career paths, he found that he was interested in many different disciplines, but in terms of practicality, his dad encouraged him to “find a job that has a license, because you'll always be able to get a job." That ultimately helped frame his final direction and culminated in a decision to pursue nursing.
Pak has since worn various hats across the field of nursing. Indrias and Pak discuss how health outcomes can improve when the health workforce reflects the community, including gender, ethnic, and racial diversity. Pak credits his MFP fellowship with providing access to a wide range of people in the mental healthcare profession who are propelled by their identities and using that as a very essential part of their academic and career development.
As the episode progresses, Pak shares his growing interest in treatment options that have the potential to provide effective psychiatric mental health care for underserved communities, including using technology to combat stigma as well as the emerging revival of psychedelic, naturopathic treatment options.
For more information about Pak Chau and the broad range of work he’s doing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing as he nears graduation, plus further insight on his views regarding the importance of diverse care options, visit https://emfp.org/mfp-fellows/masters/pak-chau (opens new window).