For decades, Keiro and Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) have provided various health-related services and programs for Japanese American and Japanese older adults and their caregivers. In August of 2017, the two organizations announced a partnership initiative to expand and enhance LTSC’s existing bilingual services, while integrating Keiro’s experience, knowledge, and resources. The partnership has been renewed twice. In 2022, Keiro and LTSC have announced the continuation of their partnership initiative to expand and enhance support to the community’s older adults, with a focus on mental health.
The renewed partnership focuses on the following areas:
Continuation of the Client Assistance Fund
The client assistance fund provides temporary aid to older adults, who are without other resources, to help them overcome financial predicaments.
Mental Health Initiative
LTSC is one of the few organizations able to provide mental health counseling services in Japanese in Southern California. With the need for mental health support continuing to grow, these services remain vital in addressing mental health issues and their impact on both the individual and their families. This partnership supports expanded counseling services to low-income Japanese older adults facing conditions such as clinical depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. This renewed partnership shifts to a value-based funding model, which focuses on the overall management of the mental health and wellbeing of older adults as well as the quality of care provided. This model incentivizes collaboration, a whole-person approach, and integrated services to address the unique needs of each individual client.