American Psychiatric Foundation Announces Recipients of 2008 Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Psychiatric Foundation (APF) has named three nonprofit organizations and one individual as the recipients of the fifth annual APF Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health. The awards were presented at the 2008 APF Annual Benefit in Washington, D.C. Each organization or individual was presented a plaque, along with an award of $5,000 in honor of their work and commitment to advancing minority mental health. The awards are made possible through an unrestricted educational grant from Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.

    The following individual and organizations received an award:

     -- Francis G. Lu, M.D. received an award for his work in the Department
        of Psychiatry at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) where he has
        worked since 1977. Dr. Lu developed the Ethnic/ Minority Psychiatric
        Inpatient Programs at SFGH and is one of the founding Board members of
        the National Asian American and Pacific Islander Mental Health
        Association. He produced a DVD titled "The Culture of Emotions" that
        was based on the DSM-IV Outline for Cultural Formulation.  He is also
        a member of the California State Department of Mental Health, Cultural
        Competence Advisory Committee.

     -- Homes for the Brave in Bridgeport, CT received an award for providing
        housing and services to homeless male veterans and non-veterans who
        struggle with psychiatric and/or substance abuse problems. Homes for
        the Brave (HFTB) provides case management, vocational education and
        training, job assistance, and community life skills training. Through
        its services and collaborations, HFTB strives to prepare homeless
        individuals with the life skills necessary to reenter the world as
        productive members of society.

     -- Housing Works in Brooklyn, NY received an award for the work it is
        doing to ensure that homeless and low-income people living with
        HIV/AIDS and their families have adequate housing, food, social
        support, drug treatment, health care, and employment. Housing Works
        administers mental health services that address the needs of triply
        diagnosed people living with HIV/AIDS who are also mentally ill and
        chemically dependent. Mental health care services are provided for a
        total of 130 clients per year at three New York licensed AIDS Adult
        Day Health Care programs. The sites provide primary care, syringe
        exchange, and supportive services to HIV positive adults.

     -- Tristan's Quest -- Support for Kids of Incarcerated Parents (SKIP)
        Initiative in Greensboro, NC received an award for leading the
        community to increase awareness of the mental and physical health
        risks faced by children whose parent(s) are incarcerated. At the SKIP
        Initiative, children are given a safe place to share their emotions
        about having a parent in prison. Throughout the school year, a variety
        of topics is covered, including making good choices, setting goals,
        self-esteem, and how it feels to miss the incarcerated parent.
        In May 2007, 78 children (85% of whom were African American) were
        attending SKIP groups at eight elementary schools.

The American Psychiatric Foundation is also pleased to announce that four organizations have received an Honorable Mention for the 2008 Advancing Minority Mental Health Awards.

     -- Barstow Acres Children's Center in Frederick, MD is being honored for
        providing mental health and enrichment services to children and
        families. Barstow Acres provides a 4-week summer camp that promotes
        mental health in children. The camp specializes in providing anger
        management and the development of social skills and various therapies
        that include play therapy, art therapy, sandplay therapy and pet
        therapy.

     -- Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) in Chicago, IL is being
        honored for consistently implementing successful, innovative
        approaches to provide mental health services to underserved and
        minority populations throughout its 35-year history. These strategies
        include: actively recruiting staff and clinical leadership to reflect
        the ethnic and racial diversity of its population served; hiring
        parent advocates to breakdown cultural and racial barriers to
        treatment; and engaging in partnerships with other agencies to reach
        ethnic populations culturally resistant to mental health services.
        Today, three-quarters of individuals reached by C4 behavioral health
        services are African-American, Hispanic, Asian or of mixed race.

     -- Student National Medical Association at the University of Tennessee
        Health Science Center in Memphis, TN is being honored for its
        dedication to the recruitment and retention of minority medical
        students; the development of culturally competent and clinically
        excellent physicians; and the delivery of healthcare in the
        underserved populations.

     -- Venice Family Clinic's (VFC) Mental Health Program in Venice, CA is
        being honored for providing mental health services to nearly 2,500
        people who are low-income, uninsured, or homeless who are without
        other access to care. The clinic provides a range of services from
        individual therapy to support groups. In the past five years, the
        Clinic has strengthened its expertise and specialty care capacity with
        volunteers and community organizations and has launched a psychiatry
        residency training program with UCLA.

"We are proud to support the Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health as part of our commitment to help eliminate health disparities among underserved populations," said Hiromi Yoshikawa, chairman and chief executive officer of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. "Otsuka congratulates the award recipients and applauds their efforts toward advancing minority mental health."

"I congratulate all of the recipients of the Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health, said Richard K. Harding, M.D., American Psychiatric Foundation President. "It is through this award that APF recognizes the commendable efforts of individuals and organizations that are making mental health services available to underserved populations."

About the Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health

The American Psychiatric Foundation Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health honor psychiatrists and mental health programs that are undertaking special efforts to increase public awareness of mental health care, increasing access to mental health services, and enhancing the quality of care for underserved minorities, especially those who suffer from severe mental illness.

About the American Psychiatric Foundation

The American Psychiatric Foundation is the philanthropic and educational arm of the American Psychiatric Association. The mission of the foundation is to advance understanding that mental illnesses are real and can be effectively treated. For more information, please visit the foundation's Web site at www.psychfoundation.org.

About Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.

Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI) is a successful, innovative, fast-growing healthcare company that commercializes Otsuka-discovered and other product opportunities in North America, with a strong focus on and commitment to neuroscience, cardiovascular, oncologic, and gastrointestinal therapeutic treatments. OAPI is dedicated to improving patients' health and the quality of human life. The company is part of the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Group, which is comprised of 99 companies and approximately 31,000 people in 18 countries and regions around the world. Otsuka and its consolidated subsidiaries earned US$7.2 billion in annual revenues in fiscal 2006. OAPI is wholly owned by Otsuka America, Inc. (OAI), which is the holding company for Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.'s (OPC) interests in the US. OAI is wholly owned by OPC. For additional information, please visit www.otsuka-us.com.