Bilingual Toolkit Launches to Tackle Mental Health Crisis in Austin's Latino Community

*Photo courtesy of Leonor Vargas/Wisdom En Familias, LLC*

Pathways to Mental Healing, a new digital bilingual toolkit, provides Spanish-speakers with information to help create greater understanding of mental health issues and resources for those who need help.

“We’re currently living through a mental health crisis, especially in the Latino community,” said Austin City Council member Vanessa Fuentes, the board chair of the Community Advancement Network (CAN), one of the creators of the toolkit.

Fuentes spoke during a press conference held to announce the launch of the toolkit in October.

The Community Action Network recently partnered with the Central Texas National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) as well as a community advisory committee to release the toolkit. The organization aims to strengthen social, health, educational and economic opportunities in the community.

Fuentes said that, “over one-third of Hispanic parents have experienced a mental health disorder in their lifetime,” but existing stigmas in the culture are what hold back people from seeking help.

*Illustration courtesy of Pathways to Mental Healing.*

“If people aren’t seeking help it can lead to adverse effects,” said Raul Alvarez, executive director for CAN, during the press conference.

Lack of recognition of mental health issues within the Spanish-speaking community led to the creation of the toolkit, he said.

Alvarez added that there are resources out there but that many are not available in Spanish. The toolkit, designed as a course, provides a Spanish version with the goal of making it easier to navigate information about mental health.

“Throughout the toolkit we remind people that this is a resource guide, to be able to make decisions for themselves,” said Leonor Vargas from Wisdom en Familias, another group partnering on the project.

The tookit can be accessed through CAN’s social media networks, the CAN website, or by scanning a QR code on their flyers.

Vargas’ outreach efforts include seeking out service providers who work with the Latino community in Austin to put on workshops to get the word out about the toolkit.

“We go to organizations that historically have a focus and a mission to help the Latino community,” Vargas said.

Since the launch of the toolkit, over 250 people have been reached.

“To see familias engaged and asking preguntas during the workshops, and are laughing, crying, and learning, that to me is success,” Vargas said.

HOW TO ACCESS THE TOOLKIT:

What: Pathways to Mental Healing, a Bilingual mental health toolkit

Where: Digitally in English at https://wecanatx.org/mentalhealth/

Digitally en Español at https://wecanatx.org/sanacion/

WHAT YOU CAN FIND IN THE TOOLKIT:

Four sections of the toolkit:

1) Improve Mental Well-being for Myself + My Family

2) How Overall Well-being Impacts Mental Well-being

3) Learn More About Mental Health

4) Get help

Direct links to resources such as crisis help for a loved one and self-care tips.
Worksheets include talking about hard topics, adjustment after trauma and stress, grounding technique.
Links to self-assessments of mental health conditions.
Tips for seeking a mental health professional.
Information for crisis lines and direct links to chat with them.
Resources for support groups in Austin.