This event will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation available in Spanish.

Familia Adelante (FA) is a culturally informed prevention and early intervention program designed specifically for at-risk Latino youth aged 10-14 and their families. The 12-week program focuses on mitigating risk factors for substance use in Latino youths through family engagement and education. By addressing relocation-related stress, substance use prevention, sex education, HIV risk, and other relevant topics through a cultural lens, the program aims to strengthen familial bonds and reinforce cultural protective factors. The program has shown effectiveness in preventing substance use as well as reduced behavioral and emotional challenges among Latino youth. The curriculum emphasizes the importance of leveraging and strengthening extended family support systems, cultural traditions, and values to build family resilience and foster a strong sense of ethnic identity and belonging (Cervantes et al., 2011).

This “Cafecito Entre Nos...” provides a unique opportunity to meet the developer of this Evidence Based Program and discuss elements of the program. The dialogue will provide insights into the impact of FA as a culturally informed interventions on substance use prevention and to promote effective strategies for engaging Hispanic families in these efforts.

Throughout the conversation participants will learn about

The implementation of FA in preventing substance use among Hispanic youth by addressing cultural stress and fostering protective factors.

Nationally applied FA practices that enhance youth communication with family and peers, improve psychosocial coping and life skills for Hispanic youth and parents, increase knowledge and perception of the harms associated with substance use, and decrease substance use.

Lessons learned from implementing FA, including strategies for balancing the program's framework with the unique cultural needs of the communities served.

GUEST SPEAKER:

Dr. Richard Cervantes

Dr. Cervantes is the Research Director at Behavioral Assessment, Inc. and is Senior Research fellow at Long Beach Center for Behavioral Research and Services Department of Psychology. At California State University. Dr. Cervantes has published numerous scientific journal articles as well over a dozen book chapters relevant to Hispanic/Latino youth, family, mental health, and health issues. He is the developer of the Hispanic Stress Inventory, a self-report instrument designed to assess culture-specific life-event stress experienced by Hispanic/Latino individuals in the U.S. and Familia Adelante, a family focused prevention and Intervention program. Dr. Cervantes has years of experience in the conduct of community-based research and evaluation and is familiar with necessary multi-dimensional evaluation methodologies needed in community and applied settings. He has served as Principal Investigator on numerous NIH and Foundation funded studies over a 20-year career span.

This event will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation available in Spanish.

Latino communities experience similar rates of behavioral health concerns as other groups, yet access services at lower rates. Variables such as access to culturally responsive care and trained providers limit access for Latinos with behavioral health needs. This webinar explores practical strategies for delivering culturally and linguistically responsive services to Latino communities across health and behavioral health settings. Participants will examine how language access, cultural values, relocation experiences, family dynamics, and social influencers of health impact engagement, diagnosis, and treatment outcomes.

The session highlights approaches for building trust, reducing stigma, and addressing barriers to care, including the use of bilingual services, community partnerships, culturally relevant communication styles, and strengths-based practices. Through case examples and real-world tools, attendees will gain actionable skills to improve outreach, service delivery, and opportunities to access and remain in services for Latino individuals and families.

Objectives:
· Describe key cultural, linguistic, and social factors that influence health and behavioral health outcomes among Latino communities.

· Identify common barriers to care, including language access challenges, stigma, and relocation-related stressors.

· Apply culturally responsive communication strategies to strengthen trust, engagement, and therapeutic relationships with Latino individuals and families.

· Develop practical steps to adapt programs, outreach, and clinical practices to better meet the needs of Latino populations.

GUEST SPEAKER:

Michelle Evans DSW, MBA, LCSW

Michelle Evans, DSW, MBA, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a career dedicated to supporting individuals and families impacted by mental illness and addiction, particularly within the Hispanic/Latino community.  She currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Elgin Mental Health Center, a state forensic psychiatric hospital in Elgin, Illinois.  She has also worked as a bilingual forensic evaluator and treatment provider.

In her private practice at Nickerson & Associates, PC, Dr. Evans specializes in evaluating and treating adolescents and adults facing mental health, substance and sex addictions. Her clinical work addresses the complex intersection of addiction, trauma, and mental health, helping clients rebuild their lives and relationships.

Dr. Evans is also an educator. She teaches social work and mental health courses at Aurora University and Indiana Wesleyan University. A passionate advocate for parity, justice, and culturally responsive care; she is committed to advancing awareness, compassion, and effective services for marginalized and underserved populations. Her career exemplifies a dedication to person-centered, culturally grounded approaches in addressing addiction and mental health challenges.

This event will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation available in Spanish.

Entre colegas... Dialogues between Behavioral Health Providers of Latinos

Topic: Assessment and Intervention with Latino Families: A Systems Framework

50 spaces available. 

Family therapy is a cornerstone of best practices when working with Latino individuals experiencing behavioral health challenges. Grounded in systems thinking and relational frameworks, family therapy recognizes the central role of family, culture, and community in shaping mental health experiences and recovery. Family-based approaches help address underlying relational patterns, enhance communication, and deepen shared understanding of mental health conditions. By engaging family members in the therapeutic process, clinicians strengthen natural support systems that reinforce both individual growth and systemic change. When aligned with the families’ cultural values and lived experiences, family therapy fosters cohesion, intimacy, and shared meaning making among family members, helping to reframe and de-escalate negative interactional patterns and buffer the impact of contextual stressors.

This session provides a space for dialogue and applied learning around essential tenets and clinical skills in family therapy with Latino families. Participants will explore how systems thinking and relational perspectives inform assessment, case conceptualization, and intervention. Through case discussion, the session will examine culturally responsive ways to assess and implement family therapy strategies that foster trust, collaboration, and healing within Latino families.

Provide a space to have a dialogue about

1. Systems thinking and relational frameworks in family therapy, including family-level processes, interactional dynamics, and the quality of relationships.

2. Assessment considerations in Latino families such as its life cycles, cultural values, intergenerational beliefs, and contextual stressors that influence mental health experiences and engagement in care.

3. Application of culturally responsive engagement and intervention strategies to build trust and strengthen therapeutic alliances with Latino caregivers, youth, and extended family members."

GUEST SPEAKER:

Dr. Erick Senior-Rogés, PhD

Erick Senior-Rogés, PhD is a consultant and former Training and Technical Assistance Manager for the Hispanic/Latino Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (H/LBH CoE), where he supported workforce development initiatives promoting culturally responsive mental health care for Hispanic and Latino communities. He serves as a clinical psychologist  for the Fostering Belonging and Student Success grant initiative at Atlantic University as well as in private practice specializing in multigenerational, culturally humble and person-centered oriented models.

Dr. Senior-Rogés provides psychotherapy to Latino families integrating systemic and experiential therapeutic approaches to promote healing, strengthen family functioning, and support intergenerational well-being.  His research focuses on the psychological well-being of Puerto Rican university students, the impact of relocation and transnational family experiences, and protective factors among Puerto Rican parent–child dyads. He has collaborated with organizations including the Hispanic Federation and the Behavioral Sciences Research Institute of Puerto Rico within research and community mental health efforts.  He holds a master's degree in psychology from The New School for Social Research and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Puerto Rico.

This event will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation available in Spanish.

Trauma from disasters, conflict and violence can result in serious physical and psychological reactions such as grief, loss anxiety and fear. Seeking services to attend to these is essential. For Latinos experiencing reactions to disaster, conflict and violence; attention to cultural variables, and their connection to the understanding and experience of trauma is key.

This panel will discuss practical, trauma-informed approaches for supporting individuals and communities affected by disasters, conflict, and violence, with emphasis on culturally responsive care tailored for Latino populations. It will include evidence-based strategies to provide compassionate support and improve crisis response effectiveness for Latino survivors.

Learning objectives:
1. Identifying practical trauma-informed care strategies that acknowledge the unique cultural, linguistic, and contextual needs of Latino survivors of traumatic events.
2. Highlighting culturally responsive practices, such as understanding cultural expressions of distress, building trust, and mitigating barriers like stigma, language, and access issues.
3. Connecting providers with tools and frameworks to enhance their ability to support survivors of disaster, violence, and conflict in clinical or community settings.

Speakers:

Presenter: Rocio Chang, Psy.D.

Rocio Chang is a clinical, bilingual psychologist specializing in treating traumatic stress, particularly among vulnerable communities and people impacted by relocated experiences. She received her associate degree in liberal arts from Capital Community College, her undergraduate degree from Trinity College, and her master’s and Psy. D. degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Hartford.

She completed her predoctoral internship at the Brightside School Street Counseling Institute in Springfield, Massachusetts, and a 1-year postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Psychology at UConn Health. In 2015, Rocio joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry in the Child and Adolescent Division. Her roles within the Psychiatry Department are clinical, educational, and research.

Dr. Chang provides therapy using evidence-based models with cultural adaptations for adults and children at the Latino Clinic and the Child and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic. She also treats medical, dental, and graduate students at the Student Behavioral Clinic. In 2021, she developed the first Latino mental health clinic at the Adult Psychiatric Outpatient Services Clinic. Since then, Rocio has continued to see Latino, monolingual adults at UConn Health Partners in West Hartford, a more convenient location for Latino patients.

Rocio is actively involved in community and clinical research.  Since 2016, she has been a leader in two national training and technical assistance centers within the Department, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Since 2022, she has served as the Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator for the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice and the Center for Treatment of Developmental Trauma Disorder. She is currently a co-investigator on three NIH grants focused on underserved populations.

Presenter: Yari M. Marrero, Ed.D

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey and a Master of Health Sciences in Substance misuse Counseling from Universidad Central del Caribe (UCC), where she has worked for the past 20 years. She began her professional career as a research assistant on a clinical research project in Strategic Brief Therapy, sponsored by the University of Miami, the Clinical Trial Network, and SAMHSA.

Throughout her career at the Institute of Research and Services in Addiction (IRESA), she has participated as a presenter in multiple projects in the areas of addictions and trauma, as well as in a Leadership and Professional Development Institute. She also served as a Professional Counselor and Coordinator of the Peer Mentoring Program at UCC.

Additionally, she coordinated an outpatient treatment services project for women with substance use disorders and traumatic experiences, sponsored by SAMHSA. She combines her professional role with teaching and is a member of the UCC faculty as a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Family Medicine.

She completed her doctoral degree at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus, within the Faculty of Education, with a concentration in Counseling. Currently, she serves as the Associate Dean of Licensing and Accreditation at the institution that once welcomed her as a student, where she collaborates in efforts related to assessment, institutional effectiveness, licensing, and accreditation.

Please join us for the launch of 3 videos that address common cultural beliefs in Hispanic and Latino communities about mental health conditions and how to support recovery among people living with mental health conditions.

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The Hispanic/Latino Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (COE) is pleased to collaborate with the Southeast MHTTC, which will host this event.

Culture is an enduring element, a tradition that is embedded in every human thought, emotion, and behavior. It is also a key factor that upholds normed belief patterns that maintain physical and psychological health and contributes to the tenacity of mental health and substance use disorders (SUD). This webinar is developed for behavioral health care providers interested in learning about the impact of cultural factors relating to behavioral health domains of Hispanic and Latino clients. The approach taken in this webinar session includes highlighting key cultural beliefs, attitudes, and practices that potentially influence responsiveness to treatment among Latino persons with mental health conditions and SUDs. The webinar also addresses culturally informed therapeutic strategies that can facilitate effective engagement and therapeutic relationships with Hispanic and Latino patients.

The webinar will cover:

• An overview of trends and demographics among Hispanic/Latino populations in the Southeast
• Principles of cultural humility and the multicultural framework.
• Common cultural values, beliefs and gender norms among Hispanic and Latino populations.
• Common idioms of distress, and expressions of grief, sorrow, joy, anger, fatalism and resilience among Latino populations
• Culturally responsive approaches and strategies for adapting mental health interventions to be culturally centered.

About the Speaker:

Diane Arms, MA  Diane Arms currently serves as the Director for The Center for Co-occurring Disorders at The Council on Recovery. She has dedicated her career to serving the Latino population in the Health Field, including Mental Health and Substance Use. She received both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso. Diane has served as Director of Health Integration at Avenue 360 Health and Wellness, Director of Prevention and Counseling at the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans and with the Harris County Health Care Alliance as Program Manager facilitating leadership meetings amongst local FQHCs to proactively identify, address, and resolve systemic issues. Ms. Arms has also served as an Operations Administrator for the children’s division unit at Emergence Health Network, El Paso’s Local Mental Health Authority. She has successfully implemented programs such as Multisystemic Therapy in a Mental Health Setting and Transition Age Youth, assisting transitioning clients from children’ services to adult services in the mental health system. She spearheaded the transition of in person clinical and behavioral health services of the agency to telehealth services to accommodate social distancing and stay at home orders due to COVID 19. Previously funded projects consist of identifying relationships between stress, depression and anxiety to substance use and parenting styles in young adult Latinos, investigating the effects of chronic illnesses on children’s health-related quality of life in the Colonias, an underserved and impoverished neighborhood along the Texas-Mexico border, and exploring effective decision-making aids on colorectal cancer for the aging Latino population. She sits on the Houston BARC Foundation’s board, the City of Houston’s Animal Shelter and Adoption Facility. She is also a fellow of the American Leadership Forum, Class 44.

It is widely documented that Latinas are underrepresented in leadership positions. Latinas face the challenges attached to being a woman and being a woman from a minoritized group. Latinas are more likely to face racism, sexism, stereotyping, uneven promotion, and inequality in salaries. Women of Color, including Latinas, repeatedly report having their credentials and competencies challenged in the professional arena and often face the consequences of stereotypes. Recent studies have focused on gaining knowledge from Latinas in leadership roles, where their lived experiences provided an opportunity to actively review, interpret, and connect themes from their journeys. There is a need to document further how culture may influence leadership styles among Latinas. This panel offers an opportunity to share lived experiences of Latinas in leadership roles in the behavioral field while expanding on how culture has influenced their leadership styles. 

Objectives:  

Identify barriers that currently exist that may interfere with Latinas being promoted to leadership roles. 

Understand how cultural values may influence leadership styles among Latinas.

Address how to navigate these barriers through narratives of lived experiences. 

In this presentation, participants will explore the intricate landscape of teenage dating violence within Hispanic and Latino communities. Attendees will uncover the cultural nuances influencing relationship dynamics, including traditional values and gender roles. Throughout the session, participants will learn to recognize warning signs, both behavioral and physical, specific to this demographic while addressing the unique barriers that prevent individuals from reporting abuse. The presentation will delve into effective therapeutic approaches grounded in cultural competence, such as trust-building communication, collaborative family therapy, and empowering education. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your cultural competence and therapeutic toolkit.

Presenter:

Michelle Evans, DSW, LCSW, CADC

Dr. Michelle Evans is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, and Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider and Evaluator. She has worked in primarily with the Hispanic/Latine population throughout her career as a child welfare specialist and forensic evaluator and treatment provider. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Elgin Mental Health Center in Elgin, Illinois, a state forensic psychiatric hospital. She is in private practice at Nickerson & Associates, PC as a bilingual therapist where she treats adults and adolescents with mental health issues, substance abuse issues and sex addictions. She also teaches on these topics at Aurora University and University of Chicago. Previously, she was the Assistant Dean for Health Professions and Public Service at Waubonsee Community College, and she has held other positions within private psychiatric hospitals. Throughout her career, she has worked to increase equity, justice and cultural awareness in these institutions. Michelle Evans earned a Doctor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work degree from Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois

Mentoring relationships play a pivotal role in cultivating behavioral health professionals' personal and professional development. In the context of cultural nuances and diverse backgrounds, mentors provide a vital bridge, offering insights and guidance into effectively navigating the complexities of mental health settings while addressing the unique challenges of serving the Hispanic and Latino communities. Therefore, mentoring relationships serve as invaluable pathways for knowledge transfer, advocacy, and the acquisition of practical skills that extend beyond formal education.

Join us for an insightful webinar panel that will delve into essential aspects of mentoring from a culturally responsive perspective, focusing on the unique experiences and relationships Hispanic and Latino mentors and mentees can build within the behavioral health field. Our distinguished speakers will discuss the significance of cultivating validating and responsive mentorship practices, essential for promoting leadership, growth, and retention of the Hispanic and Latino behavioral health workforce. Recognizing the intersection of multiple identities (e.g., ethnicity, gender), mental health, and mentorship, insights will be shared regarding how validating mentoring relationships can help foster the professional and personal development of Hispanic and Latino trainees and providers.

Who should attend?

This is a basic-level workshop designed for mental health providers, including psychologists, clinical social workers, mental health counselors, and graduate-level students in the mental health field.

About the presenters:

Manuel Paris, Psy.D. is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and Deputy Director of Hispanic Services for the Connecticut Mental Health Center. He also serves as Director of Training for the Latine Track of the Yale Psychology Pre and Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program at the Hispanic Clinic. His professional efforts focus on the evaluation of cultural/linguistic adaptations of evidence-based interventions, multisite training and fidelity monitoring, workforce development, and public policy advocacy.

Oscar F. Rojas Perez is a licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine. Oscar has mostly studied Latine psychological well-being, trauma, scale development, and culturally responsive interventions. Clinically, Oscar works with individuals who have experienced trauma, including racial trauma, and who self-identify as immigrants, refugees, and as people color. He provides culturally responsive care through the use of Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Dr. Domenech Rodríguez’s work addresses health disparities through scholarship, teaching/training, and mentorship. Her scholarship on cultural adaptations of evidence-based interventions addresses health disparities in access, acceptability, and effectiveness of treatment for ethnic and culturally diverse people. The work on cultural adaptations spans the gamut from specific trials, to advances in theory development, to meta-analytic examination of impacts of cultural adaptations on treatment effectiveness Dr. Domenech Rodríguez has improved accessibility to training in evidence-based interventions for providers working with ethnic and culturally diverse clients. Her courses in multiculturalism and diversity prepare psychologists entering the workforce from the undergraduate or graduate level to attend to diversity and equity in their professional pursuits. Her approach to teaching/training is systematic and evidence-based. She has mentored 25 doctoral students to completion. Dr. Domenech Rodríguez has advanced an agenda to reduce health disparities through leadership. Specifically, she is editor of Family Process [IF = 3.9]. She is a past chair of the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Participants in Research (2012-2-23), is a past president of the National Latine Psychological Association (2016), and a past president of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology (2018-2019).

Dr. Germán A. Cadenas is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) and inaugural Associate Director of the Center for Youth Social Emotional Wellness (CYSEW). Dr. Cadenas identifies as an immigrant from Latin America and his academic work is community-based, with intersecting foci on the psychology of immigration and on critical consciousness as a tool for social justice. This includes the development and validation of strategies to support the psychological wellbeing, education, career/work, and health of immigrants and other underserved communities. He is an Associate Editor of Journal of Counseling Psychology and serves on the Advocacy Coordinating Committee (ACC) of the American Psychological Association. He was recently appointed to the APA Presidential Task Force on Immigration and Health and was among the leaders convened by the White House to discuss the Venezuelan diaspora in the U.S.

Mirla Lopez Saldierna, CHW-I (instructor) serves as the Program Director for the Healthy Connections/Household Centered Care Program at the University of Houston's Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. The program focuses on providing support to community members by addressing non-medical drivers of health through a home visitation resource navigation approach. The home visits are done with inter-professional teams composed of community health workers, medical, nursing, and social work students. Mirla, originally from Mexico, migrated to the United States with her mother and younger brother when she was just six years old. She received a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from the University of Texas at Austin as an undocumented student and received DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) in 2014. Mirla is a certified Community Health Worker and a Community Health Worker Instructor and has worked in research and program evaluation, program development, immigration, education access, family and community engagement. In her leisure time, Mirla enjoys cooking, biking, watching movies, and reading. Being an avid reader, she is constantly on the lookout for captivating books to delve into.

Join us for the official launch event of the Hispanic/Latino Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (H/LBH CoE). As part of this virtual event, the center's team will be present to discuss its mission, focus areas, and services aimed at advancing behavioral health equity for Hispanic and Latine communities. The H/LBH CoE's new official webpage will also be showcased.