has over thirty years experience working with the Asian American Pacific Islander communities. She has taken a leadership role in establishing numerous organizations and agencies including the National Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Mental Health Association, NAAPIMHA, of which she now serves as Executive Director. She was invited to the first White House Conference on Mental Health and the Summit on AAPI Mental Health that was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Mental Health Services. She is frequently asked to speak on cultural competency and mental health issues. Dr. Ida served as a peer reviewer for the 2001 Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity and helped write the subcommittee paper on Cultural Competency for the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. She has served on numerous boards and committees on mental health issues.

Access itself is not sufficient to address the disparities in quality services for diverse populations. Funding streams, professional training and services are separated resulting in a services delivery system that fails to not only integrate primary health, mental health and substance abuse but also fails to take into consideration cultural, spiritual, and language issues.