- July 12, 2007

 

Our Services

There are so many stigmas around the issues of mental health. It is perfectly all right to have arthritis, but if you dare develop depression, because the disease keeps one in constant pain, leads to seclusion and loss of daily activities, and is a certain prescription for grief over loss of abilities, one is often seen as weak, boring, or even crazy. Because we understand the issues our consumers face, we are able to offer supportive counseling, Cognitive Behavioral reframing, psychotherapy and Brief Therapy delivered at home and usually free of charge to the consumer who is often indigent, lacks transportation, and in no ability to seek care outside of their home. Our professional staff is able to meet the person where they are at, share their concerns, and grief over their losses. Then, we do all we can to help our consumers live, not survive - with their loss, their troubles, and their concerns. Our Mental Wellness services are designed to aid the seniors in keeping their independence, getting reconnected with community supports, and building new skills based on new abilities.
Some reasons to seek Mental Wellness care include:

  • Loss of appetite or increased appetite
  • Loss of weight or increased weight
  • Hearing or seeing things other people do not see or hear
  • Tearfulness, sadness, or preoccupations with thoughts of the future
  • Inconsistent Fear or Worry about Death
  • Thoughts about dying that make one uncomfortable and / or afraid
  • Nightmares, flashbacks, losing time
  • Memory problems, agitation, confusion with community resources
  • Increased or decreased energy
  • Increased or decreased sleep

Many of our senior consumers have never had any of these symptoms but developed them with age and stressful events in their lives. The Mental Wellness program is geared to aid the person in returning back to their own self and improving the mood. Getting to love life is not easy when one is ill, or in pain. Getting to love life is priceless.

Our experienced multilingual social work staff will gladly provide you with the following services:

  • Counseling
    • English, Russian and Spanish; Bosnian, Vietnamese, Kurdish and Chinese
  • Mental Health Assessments
  • Psychotherapy for the elderly and disabled War Survivors

 

  • Mental Wellness assistance in adjustment post-resettlement.
  • Supportive counseling regarding life changing events, and adjustment issues

 

  • Case Management

    • Bi-Lingual International Assistant Services provides case management services to multi-cultural disabled and elderly populations in St. Louis City and County.  BIAS is dedicated to reaching as many people as possible and is able to provide services in many languages.  Some of these languages include Russian, Bosnian, Kurdish, English and Spanish. Our experienced staff provides assistance in areas such as:

      • Advocacy
      • Access and utilization of community resources
      • Obtaining Medicare and Medicaid
      • Citizenship
      • Durable Medical Equipment
      As each client is an individual, the case manager develops a plan with that person to meet his/her specific needs.  Case managers provide support, encouragement, education and guidance to clients to empower them with knowledge and confidence to face life issues. 
  • Information and Referral
    • Financial Assistance
    • Home Care
    • Medical Care/Support

*Treatment to elderly and disabled foreign born.

    • Psychiatric Care

 

    • Medical Supplies
    • Community Support

    Citizenship Program


    Due to the 1996 Welfare Reform Act, many elderly and disabled have been faced with imminent loss of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is often their only means of income. To re-qualify for SSI, they must become U.S. citizens. BIAS Citizenship Program provides free and comprehensive services to support elderly and disabled individuals to prepare for and obtain citizenship. Assistance with completing applications and forms, tutoring for required civics and history exams and English as a Second Language (ESL) preparation is available to BIAS clients in both St. Louis and Sedalia, Missouri. Home-based instruction and on-going staff/volunteer support have been key methods to facilitate success for many clients who are physically frail and illiterate in their native language. Since, its inception in March 2007, the BIAS Citizenship Program has enrolled 153 clients, 55 of whom have become U.S. citizens.

    BIAS EL/Civics

    BIAS EL/Civics program model is based on promising practice models so that the program design we offer has been proven successful to meet the needs of the elderly with Limited English Proficiency to ensure that they will succeed in passing the citizenship test. Therefore the impact of this program improves quality of life of these clients and leads to Citizenship attainment and reinstatement of Supplemental Security Income, which often times is the only source to meet disabled and elderly individuals' survival needs.

 

Professional Interpretation and Translation Services Designed to Bridge the Communication Barrier

  • We offer on-site interpretation as well as phone interpretation and written translation services.
  • We provide medical interpretation, as well as interpreters for the mental health setting that are trained and competent in the mental health setting.
  • In progress of obtaining court certification for interpretation.
  • Our interpreters are trained in simultaneous, consecutive and site-translation
    • Quality interpretation and translation offered in many languages, including:
    • Arabic               Hungarian   Russian
    • Bosnian    Italian             Somali
    • Chinese    Kurdish       Spanish
    • Farsi                Mongolian   Swedish
    • French      Polish             Vietnamese
    • German   Romanian     and others…

     

    • Diversity Training/ Interpreter Seminars

    Presentations on Cultural Competency, training on social work and mental wellness services for the aging “New Americans”.

     

    Robert Trampier Fund

     

    We invite you to participate in the Robert Trampier Fund by donating money to assist elderly and disabled adults in receiving non-covered medical, daily necessities, and medications that are much needed by the frail and elderly clients of Bi-Lingual International Assistant Services. Here is what they had to say to thank you:

    • "I am very ill, and it is difficult to hold my head up, and to keep my feet elevated. With help from Robert Trampier Fund, the girls at Bi-Lingual International helped me get Neck Support and feet support. Without these supplies I probably would not be able to sit on a sofa and even watch TV" Zina L.
    • "My husband has Alzheimer's and I have to bathe him. It was getting difficult to keep him standing in the shower. Thanks to Robert Trampier Fund, we were able to get a shower chair and a bath rail, and now I know I can keep him safe in the bathtub. My both hands are free, so that I can assist him in best way possible, when he needs my help!" K.S.
    • "What can I say? Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Even taking a walk in those therapeutic hose is a much easier thing. I am now able to wear my own shoes, and my doctor is happy with me for following her orders! Maybe, I'll walk myself to my 90th birthday?!" Mrs. Ch.
    • "It was very hot that day, when my electricity had been turned off. I asked for help because I knew that in my health condition, I could not be without air. I don't have any income, you see, and it was embarrassing to ask for assistance, but necessary. The staff at Bi-Lingual International gave me needed resources and paid my energy bill on that very day. I was so grateful, because we had a heat advisory just then". Mr. K.


    Whether you donate $1.00 or $100.00, the money will directly pay for supplies and assistance our foreign-born clients cannot afford. Your donations are fully tax deductible and may be mailed to:
    To meet the medical supply needs of those people who are otherwise unable to afford items such as walkers, bath chairs, incontinence supplies, canes…..
    Donations are tax deductible.

    C/o Bi-Lingual International Assistant Services
    Disclaimer: Robert Trampier was a kind man, who chose to do kind things for the elderly people. He was BIASed toward them, especially favoring those who had suffered oppression, war, torture, and physical limitations. In his honor, we chose to name a fund of giving, because his giving of himself inspired us all.

    One can make a difference in the lives of many.

     

    Partial Funding Provided by:
    Missouri Foundation for Health
    St. Louis Mental Health Board
    Saint Louis Area Agency on Aging
    University City Senior Service Board
    Parkview Towers for Senior Living Board