Identifies Mental Health Needs; Makes Recommendations to Improve Access & Inclusion
A new report on the mental health needs of the Latino/a/x community was released today by the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs (OCHA). The report is based on a study of 30 years of user data and qualitative input from a range of mental health system stakeholders across the state. The report is called, “Crisis de Nuestro Bienestar (Crisis of our Emotional Well-being): A Report on Latino Mental Health in Oregon.”
Latinos/as/x comprise the largest minority population in Oregon and it is growing. Today, around 25% of youth in Oregon public schools are Latino/a/x. The report analyzes the mental health needs and access to services for the Latino/a/x community and recommends actions for achieving greater health equity.
Crisis de Nuestro Bienestar provides specific policy and practice recommendations for increasing access and inclusion in Oregon’s behavioral health system. Its primary recommendations are to:
Increase systemic resources and implement policy and organizational structures for Latinos/as/x and rural populations to address the scarcity of mental health providers and build support for those providers.
Build systemic supports for comprehensive care in school districts and schools.
Create dedicated spaces and places for Latino/a/x clients by increasing systemic resources and implementing financial incentives to increase culturally specific mental health programming that combats stigma.
For more information about the recommendations to increase access and how to implement them, see the: