Honoree Biography
Phil Ting
California State Assemblymember, District 19
Phil Ting was elected to the State Assembly in 2012, representing the 19th Assembly District, which spans the Westside of San Francisco, as well as the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, Daly City, and parts of South San Francisco and San Bruno.
Because of his experience in the financial sector and as the San Francisco Assessor- Recorder, Ting has become a leading voice on California’s finances. He served as Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee for eight budget cycles after having served as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation.
Ting has authored legislation that addresses the state’s homeless crisis, adds affordable housing, creates green jobs, funds services and resources to stop anti-Asian hate crimes, reforms the criminal justice system and other issues. Along with the support of other community organizations, Ting championed efforts to create the Stop the Hate Project through the Department of Social Services. As a grantee, RAMS received funding to support the Unity Road Trip which empowers Chinese American and African American youth to learn about their collective histories and cultures through a multi-state journey across the United States.
In addition, through the leadership and advocacy of Ting, RAMS secured $6.5 million in State funding to purchase and renovate a new facility at 601 Clement Street. The location will be the new home of the RAMS Outpatient programs, Wellness Centers Program, and Training Institute.
Ting is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He began his career in public service as the Executive Director of the Asian Law Caucus, an organization founded in 1972 to advance and promote the legal and civil rights of the Asian Pacific Islander community, and once served as Community Relations Director at San Francisco State University. In 2005, Ting was appointed Assessor-Recorder of San Francisco by then-Mayor Gavin Newsom, where he closed a five-year assessment backlog and brought in $290 million in unpaid property taxes to the city. Ting lives in San Francisco’s Sunset District with his family.
The Late Dr. Stanley Sue
Co-founder of Asian American Psychological Association
The late Dr. Stanley Sue was seen as a giant in the field of mental health including among those at RAMS, Inc. Dr. Sue was the first director of the nationally recognized National Asian American Psychology Training Center Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology at RAMS, the first program of its kind in the USA to focus on the development of psychologists with expertise in working with Asian and Pacific Islander populations.
Sue was born in Portland, Oregon and was the third of six children born to first and second generation Chinese immigrants. He received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon followed by a PhD from the University of California Los Angeles in Clinical Psychology. His research focused on the mental health of ethnic minorities, cultural competence in clinical work, and the delivery of mental health services to diverse groups.
Sue devoted over 50 years of his career examining mental health and ethno-centric services. His work brought to the forefront the mental health challenges experienced by minority groups and developed guidelines for accurately providing effective mental health services. Sue founded the Asian American Psychological Association in 1972 with his brother Dr. Derald Wing Sue, which is now an organization with national membership. Sue’s commitment to service transformed provision of mental health services that are ethnicity focused.
In addition to his relentless efforts in the community, Sue was a professor of psychology at Palo Alto University, where he was also the director of the Center for Excellence in Diversity. Prior to these positions he was a professor at the University of California Davis, University of California Los Angeles, and also the University of Washington.
He is the recipient of several honorable awards, which included the 2003 American Psychological Association’s Distinguished Contributions to Applied Research Award. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the California Psychological Association in 2005. Sue has left a lasting legacy in culturally competent care in the field of psychology. Click here to view his obituary.
Asian and Pacific Islander Family Resource Network
Longtime RAMS Community Partner
Asian and Pacific Islander Family Resources Network (APIFRN) is a collaborative initiative of over 20 agencies dedicated to supporting Asian and Pacific Islander (API) families in the San Francisco Bay Area. As one of RAMS’ earliest community partners, APIFRN has worked closely with the organization to champion and deliver culturally congruent support services to the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community. Led by APA Family Support Services (“APAFSS”), APIFRN provides comprehensive care and services to API families with children aged 0-18, focusing on strengthening family dynamics and fostering community connections.
The network’s core objectives are to:
- Strengthen API families and reduce the likelihood of out-of-home placements
- Increase the use of neighborhood-based resources
- Help families access vital services across San Francisco
APIFRN takes a proactive, prevention-focused approach to family support. Partner agencies work closely with families to enhance their self-sufficiency and empowerment, fostering long-term resilience and stability. Using a “building on strengths” family model, the program prioritizes the needs of participants, ensuring that services are responsive and tailored to individual family circumstances.
A key feature of APIFRN is the active involvement of parents, who contribute to the design and development of programs and serve as advocates for themselves and their communities. The network is deeply committed to cultural sensitivity, reflected in its diverse staffing, multilingual support, and neighborhood accessibility, ensuring that families can access the help they need in a way that is both welcoming and effective.
