United for Care, Actions for Needs (UCAN)

United for Care, Actions for Needs (UCAN)

What is UCAN?

Funded by the National Institutes of Health, UCAN is a bilingual, culturally responsive research and support program for Chinese and Chinese American families in New York City. UCAN helps teens ages 14–17 and their parents/caregivers reduce mental health stigma, strengthen parent–teen communication, and learn how to seek support together.

UCAN is an educational, skills-building, and bridge-to-care program. It is not therapy, medical treatment, or crisis care.

Who can participate?

UCAN is for Chinese and Chinese American families with teens ages 14–17. Parents/caregivers must be born in China and interested in learning more about teen mental health, communication, and support. Teens who have been experiencing stress, anxiety, or low mood may also be eligible to participate.

What does the program include?

The program includes a 6-week online workshop, with separate parent/caregiver and teen groups, followed by a joint parent–teen session in Week 6. Topics include teen stress, anxiety, depression, stigma, family values, communication, and finding support.

UCAN empowers Chinese/Chinese American families to:

Learn about mental health challenges in a culturally meaningful way
Explore what stigma is and how it can affect your mental health journey
Improve parent-child communication and happiness
Connect to bilingual facilitators and other parents or teens who share your experiences
Find hope and the right support for your family

Compensation

Eligible participants who complete study activities may receive up to $200 per teen and $200 per parent/caregiver.

Start screening

UCAN is now recruiting participants. We plan to recruit 60 parent–teen dyads from May 2026 through March 2028. Interested families can begin by completing the Demographic Screening Survey (Use the link or scan the QR code below). The UCAN team will follow up about eligibility and next steps. Completing the survey does not guarantee enrollment.

Link: https://cunysomit.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bIou0zt5j2zIExo?Q_CHL=qr

I’m a parent.

Why should I participate in the UCAN project?

English

中文

English

中文

I’m an adolescent.

Why should I participate in the UCAN project?

English

Contact Us

Questions? Contact us at:
ucan.channel1@gmail.com

If you or your child need immediate help, please call 911 or 988.

Interest in Collaboration

UCAN is actively seeking collaborators to support participant recruitment, accept referrals, and contribute to our research efforts. We welcome partnerships with mental health service providers and psychotherapy practitioners who are dedicated to and experienced in working with Chinese American families.

Call for Mental Health Service Providers

As part of our effort to connect families with appropriate mental health resources, we are building a network of bilingual and bicultural mental health providers who understand the experiences of Chinese and immigrant families and are open to accepting referrals from UCAN participants.

If you or your practice offers adolescent, family, or parent-focused mental health services, we would be grateful if you could complete this brief survey to help us learn more about your services, language capacity, and availability:

Link: https://cunysomit.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_daFUdxaZkwgh4eG

Call for Workshop Facilitators

We are seeking dedicated facilitators who understand the experiences of Chinese and immigrant families and can support Chinese/Asian American youth and their caregivers throughout our workshops.

If you are interested in becoming a UCAN facilitator, please complete the interest survey:

Link coming soon.

Team

The UCAN project team is made up of national experts in mental health anti-stigma research, bilingual/bicultural therapists, and community organizations working together to empower Chinese American adolescents and families to speak openly about mental health and get the support they need.