ACRS and APIAHF Formalize Thrive360 Partnership to Connect Community Insight with National Health Advocacy
JOINT PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2026
SEATTLE — Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) announced Thrive360, a mission-aligned partnership that strengthens the connection between trusted, community-based care and national policy and advocacy to advance health equity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (A&NH/PI) communities.
Thrive360 formalizes and deepens an ongoing relationship between ACRS and APIAHF, creating a clearer pathway for community lived experience to inform policy, and for policy solutions to translate into meaningful, on-the-ground impact. In practice, Thrive360 establishes a two-way pipeline between community and policy: ACRS brings deep trust and culturally and linguistically responsive services at the local level, while APIAHF brings national reach and federal policy expertise.
“Thrive360 strengthens what we know works: bringing community voice and lived experience into the systems and policies that shape health,” said Kendee Yamaguchi, Chief Executive Officer of ACRS. “This partnership helps elevate what our communities are experiencing and ensures solutions reflect real needs, not assumptions. It also positions ACRS to deepen regional and national visibility and build new pathways for investment in the work our communities rely on.”
“ACRS is a trusted leader in community-centered care, and we’re honored to formalize Thrive360 together,” said Juliet Choi, President & Chief Executive Officer, APIAHF. “By linking local insight with national strategy, we can help advance policies, resources, and systems that better serve AANHPI communities — and ensure community-informed solutions are part of the national conversation.”
Thrive360 is organized around three integrated pillars:
- Community Care & Access: Advancing culturally responsive prevention, screening, care navigation, and integrated approaches that address behavioral health, aging, and social drivers of health while sharing community-rooted practices that can be adapted or replicated more broadly.
- Data, Policy & Advocacy: Elevating disaggregated data and community stories to inform state and federal policy, supporting policy briefs, education, and testimony, and advancing reforms that improve access, funding, and outcomes for AANHPI communities.
- Leadership & Capacity Building: Strengthening long-term sustainability by investing in people and organizations through leadership development, learning exchanges, fellowships, and technical assistance and supporting the next generation of community and policy leaders.
Thrive360 is designed to support immediate community benefit while building long-term infrastructure for stronger systems, broader visibility, and future collaborative funding opportunities. The partnership also creates an avenue for ACRS community insights — including ethical, dignity-centered storytelling approaches — to inform broader public understanding and policy discussions.
About ACRS
Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) is a nonprofit organization working for equity and justice by supporting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities through culturally responsive behavioral health care, food security, aging and caregiver support, civic engagement, and other human services. Visit acrs.org.
About APIAHF
The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) is a national health justice organization that achieves health equity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities through law, policy and practice. Visit apiahf.org.
Media Contacts:
ACRS:
Liza Javier, Senior Development & Communications Manager, lizaj@acrs.org, (206)774-2460
APIAHF:
Kiana Triana, Communications Manager, ktriana@apiahf.org, (510) 775-0169
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