After the fall of Saigon, Colorado experienced an influx of Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees. Those who sought refuge in Colorado faced challenges in overcoming mental health conditions with major language barriers. In 1980, a group of community leaders recognized these unmet needs and mobilized Colorado’s Asian American community to create the Asian Pacific Development Center.

 

 

APDC successfully tackled the mental health issues facing the Asian refugee population, becoming the only organization in the entire state of Colorado to provide culturally specific and congruent services for and staffed by Asians who are bilingual and bi-cultural. Today, we continue to be the sole leader in advancing the well-being of Asian communities by providing a fully integrated system of care which includes behavioral and medical health services, adult education, youth programming, victim assistance, health policy advocacy, and an interpreter's bank.