Hispanic and Latinx populations in the U.S confront particular structural barriers towards receiving accessible and responsive mental health care services (e.g. lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate services, lack of insurance, lack of transportation, lack awareness of the mental health system). Due to such factors, mental health care providers require the knowledge and skills to identify and help address the societal and community-level barriers that negatively impact behavioral health care outcomes among Hispanic and Latinx communities. A crucial step towards helping increase health equity and accessibility of services among Hispanic and Latinx groups is building upon programs and strategies which promote and strengthen community-driven mental health services and which can deliver culturally oriented practices.
Objectives
1) Discuss the structural level of barriers that impact mental health care services, access and outcomes of Hispanic and Latinx communities.
2) Address models, programs, and resources that help improve the accessibility of culturally grounded and responsive mental health care services for Hispanic and Latinx communities.
3) Discuss means, strategies, and recommendations to develop and implement advocacy initiatives and connect individuals to community-based supports which improve prevention of mental health conditions and reduce behavioral health disparities among Hispanic and Latinx communities.
About Presenter:
Hector Colón-Rivera, MD
Dr. Colón-Rivera is a distinguished quadruple board-certified adolescent, adult, and addiction psychiatrist of the Pennsylvania medical community. He is currently a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh Medical and the Einstein Medical Center. He has broad experience in community-based programs, emphasizing those that help increase access to severe mental illness and substance use disorders treatments in minorities. He is the Medical Director of the Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha, Inc Behavioral Health Program (APM), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving Hispanic communities' quality of life through direct behavior and substance use disorder services in the Philadelphia region. APM has functions related to education, health, human services, community, foster homes, & economic development. Dr. Colon Rivera is also an attending physician at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and UPMC through their telemedicine services.
He is a co-founder, volunteer, and member of CrearConSalud.org, a non-profit with the goals of supporting and conducting educational, research, and advocacy activities to increase public awareness and action regarding mental health in Puerto Rico and Latinx communities in the United States.Dr. Colon-Rivera also serves as a clinical advisor for the Advisory on Alcohol and Other Drugs Committee for Pennsylvania under the Governor Wolf administration and the Opioid State Targeted Response Technical Assistance senior advisor Puerto Rico. He is the President of the Hispanic Caucus, a member of the Assembly, and the Council on Communication at the American Psychiatric Association.