Latino Mental Health Summit Brings Vital Resources Together

February 15, 2013

The Alverno College graduate program in Community Psychology is hosting a Latino Mental Health Summit on Saturday, February 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The summit, designed to lay the groundwork for the ultimate collaboration among mental health practitioners who serve Latino families in the Greater Milwaukee area, will be held in the Alverno College Conference Center located at 3400 S. 43rd Street.

Hector Colón, MS OT, Director of the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, will serve as the keynote speaker. “This summit is a great first step in creating a more supportive and more culturally diverse mental health care system in Milwaukee County,” Colón said. “I am honored to participate in such an important event.” The Department of Health and Human Services has worked alongside Alverno faculty and staff to plan this free, one-day event.

“This is a unique opportunity to bring together mental health providers, clergy, government officials and health care workers, each who have a deep interest in the mental health and wellbeing of their constituents, clients, patients and parishioners,” said Sandra Graham, dean of the Alverno College School of Arts and Sciences and the director of the college's Community Psychology graduate degree program. “Our aim is to foster connections between these providers and to create an environment where providers can share resources, vision and ideas with each other.”

The objectives of the summit are:

• to identify mental health resources/support for Latino families
• to foster connections among Latino mental health practitioners
• to uncover cultural and linguistic competencies
• to develop and share a comprehensive listing of mental health providers for Latinos
• to foster a multidisciplinary network among clergy, mental health providers and government officials serving the Latino community

For more information on the summit or to register, contact Julie Borgealt at 414-382-6435.