Bienvenido Acculturation Program: The Development of a Mental Health Education Program in a Rural Setting

1. Bienvenido Acculturation Program:The Development of a Mental Health Education Program in a Rural Setting Presenter: Gilberto Pérez Jr., MSW, ACSW Northeastern Center, Inc. June 20, 2005 NAMI Annual Conference, Austin, TX

2. Objectives • Present a Latino matrix for community mental health programs. • Present the development of a prevention program for Latinos. • Present successful implementation of a facilitator training program for Latino leaders and community.

3. Northeastern Center, Inc. CMHC – Ligonier, IN Serve SMI, SED, SA Intensive adolescent services Inpatient Unit Community Support Program Residential: adolescents, adults Who Are We?

4. Explore issues: 2-8 months (key questions and concerns) If not addressed what will block constructive change? What cultural dilemmas does community face? How are community members and organizations linked together? What protective factors are in place? Capacities and approaches Develop community needs assessment Develop focal groups to address dilemmas facing both cultures Link development, culturally appropriate interventions Latino Matrix for Community Mental Health Programs: Latino Community

5. Utilize and Aware of Mental Health Services • 94 percent have never utilized mental health facility in Ligonier. • 90 percent have not participated in counseling for depression. • 67 percent have never participated in workshops related to child development. • 83 percent are not aware of parenting classes. • 25 percent have participated in workshops related to child development. • 17 percent are aware of parenting classes.

6. Initiatives As a Result of Needs Assessment • Drug Free Noble County and Northeastern Center partner: offer Spanish parenting class. • Noble Court Services and Northeastern Center partner: offer Spanish Substance Abuse Education Classes. • Northeastern Center developed Hispanic male batterer’s group. Received training through Center for Non-violence, Ft. Wayne. • Submitted proposal to Diversity Project requesting funds to purchase culturally appropriate material for adolescent group.

7. Latinos Served FY02-FY05 354 267 237 174

8. Latinos Served: Primary Dx FY05

9. Latino Matrix for Community Mental Health Programs: Latino Community Relationships: 1-2 years • Who has most potential to serve as agents of change? • Who has respect, linkages, understands culture? • What training and capacity would improve Latino Community? • In this context, what programs and people provide personal change and growth? Capacities and approaches • Develop strategic relationship building. • Develop adequate training and capacity building programs.

10. Developing Strategic Relationships Relationships • Identify who has respect? LEAP, CDP • LEAP permitted NEC to enter education classes. • NEC decreased barrier/stigma by offering classes at non-traditional setting. • CDP provided initial funding.

11. Developing Adequate Training • The Bienvenido Acculturation Program will collaborate with individuals and organizations to train individuals in the acculturation curriculum.

12. Strategic Relationship Building • Strategic relationship building with other community leaders: • Training: April 2004 • Trained 25 community leaders • July 2004: Training in Fort Wayne, IN. • Aug 2004: Presentation in Indianapolis, IRN. • December 04: Training in Indianapolis • Total facilitators: 39

13. Institutions 5-10 years Do institutions place people of color in positions to make decisions that affect Latino Community? How culturally competent are institutions? Capacities and approaches Develop funding capacity for institutional support. Develop cultural resources for adequate understanding of cultural dilemma’s. Latino Matrix for Community Mental Health Programs: Latino Community

14. Research • MEIM – Multiethnic identity measure and Contact Scale – Pfinney, California State University, Wagner, Phillips University, Germany. • University of Costa Rica. • Statistical analysis/software: Goshen College Social Work Department. Provide students with opportunity to work on data for methods class.

15. Latino Matrix for Community Mental Health Programs: Latino Community Visions: 20 years + • What are long term visions for healthy vibrant community? • Who are the dreamkeepers? • What appropriate mechanisms for engaging institutions in imaging future? • What systemic changes are needed locally, internally, regional, global to achieve those visions?

16. Latino Matrix for Community Mental Health Programs: Latino Community Capacities and approaches • Develop strategic capacity for imaging the future in community 2. Develop relationships with foreign mental health providers: NEC Univ. Costa Rica NEC National University of Mexico 3. Support and provide space for dream keepers to meet.

17. Latino Matrix for Community Mental Health Programs: Latino Community 4. Research: conduct longitudinal studies. 5. Establish grants. 6. Identify new leaders who will share vision of an empowered community.

18. Bienvenido Acculturation Program • The Bienvenido Acculturation Program is a prevention program. • The acculturation classes are designed to reduce the risk of mental health problems related to the transition to another culture.

19. Bienvenido Acculturation Program Objectives • Present topics related to mental health to achieve a better adjustment to new community. • Provide life skill training to strengthen new immigrants life transition. • Allow new immigrants to identify, vent, and process feelings related to new life in a new country.

21. Bienvenido Acculturation Program Attainment of essential life skills will enable them to:  A. Foster familialstrengths, self determination,and empowerment in order to enhance their quality of life, and  B. Work to facilitate the process of linking familieswith needed resourcesand opportunities within the environment.

23. Bienvenido Acculturation Program Related to knowledge: • Better understand their migration experience. • Better understandand identify individual and familial strengths.

25. Bienvenido Acculturation Program Related to skills: - Be able to identify risk and protective factors in their community and address barriers within the environment that need to be removed.   - Be able to identify and process their migration experience in a group setting.

27. Bienvenido Acculturation Program Related to values: - Commitment to themselves to the core values ofhuman dignity, socialchange, self determination,and cultural diversity.

28. Bienvenido Acculturation Program -  - Recognize and respect similaritiesand differences of theirown and host culture value systems, and the implications of these differences in the construction of their new lives in a new country.

29. Bienvenido Acculturation Program

30. Bienvenido Acculturation Program • Cohort groups LEAP, NEC , Elkhart Community Schools, West Noble High School, Cummins Behavioral Health – Marion County, Center for Nonviolence – 06/05 • Evaluation – How do students rate the program and what are their comments?

31. Evaluation Results: N = 34 • What did I like most about the acculturation classes? • That I used a lot of communication. • The process of adaptation to another country. • Communication • Being able to converse with other people. • All of the subjects. • The teachers, the conversation and the food. • The subjects covered in class. • The effectiveness of the facilitators. • That all of us had a chance to talk to the facilitators.

32. Evaluation Results: N = 34 • What were the weaknesses of the acculturation classes? • None. • That my facilitator didn’t show up for class once. • The time I had a headache. • There were few students. • I relived bad things from my past. • I believe that nothing. All things were adaptable to this country.

33. Evaluation Results: N = 34 What impact have the acculturation classes had on my personal life? • To be better integrated into society. • How to better manage my temperament and better resolve my problems. • I learned to better adjust to this country. • I have learned to better adapt to this country. • Yes, it helped me on how to still believe I am Mexican and keep my culture alive. • It helped me to understand people from other cultures.

34. Evaluation Results: N = 34 • 1. I understood the topics presented in the acculturation classes. 83% Agree • 2. The material presented helped me change my attitude toward my life in this country. 84% Agree • 3. The individual and group exercises were helpful in my comprehension of the material. 92% Agree

35. Training and Capacity Building:Bienvenido Partnerships • School Corporations • Celebrate Diversity Project • LEAP, Inc. • Human Relations Commission • Communities in Schools • Youth Services Bureau • Family Services Elkhart • Church • Community Health Center • Center for Problem Resolution • Goshen College • Center for Nonviolence • Mental Health Association Marion County

36. Conclusion Development of Bienvenido Acculturation Program has created new opportunities for: • Prevention program to bring about empowerment and social change in Latino community.

37. Conclusion • Partnerships among different providers in the community: mental health, education, diversity initiative. • Resource sharing by community based agencies.

38. Conclusion • Potential partnerships between traditional CMHC and International Universities and NGO’s has begun.

39. Conclusion • Capacity building at different levels: community members and leaders. • Training of facilitators from different Latin American countries and US (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico).

40. Conclusion • Creation of a Latino Behavioral Health Summit to address gaps in mental health care for Latinos. November 2-3, 2005 Pokagon State Park Angola, IN www.nec.org

41. Program Implementation Call Northeastern Center, Inc. Contact person: Gilberto Pérez Jr. 260-894-7179 email: gperez@nec.org