Mental Health Clinic Tailors Care for Latinx Community
Child and Family psychologist Yovanska Duarte-Velez, PhD, speaks with WPRI reporter Adriana Rozas Rivera about the Mi Gente program she directs for Latinx youth with mood disorders and trauma.
Mi Gente Program
Mi Gente Program
Mi Gente, “my people,” approaches its work with compassion and respect for the cultures, lifestyles, and traditions of its patients and their families. The program’s mission is to provide culturally relevant, evidence-based mental health treatment to Latinx and Hispanic youth experiencing mood disorders and trauma, with a particular emphasis on supporting those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning, and other sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+). Mi Gente’s vision is to create safe spaces to support and promote the emotional well-being of Latinx and Hispanic youth and their families.
A Program that Reduces Stigma
Mi Gente is an evidence-based outpatient mental health clinic in Rhode Island devoted to the Latinx and Hispanic community's unique needs. By educating families and reducing stigma, Mi Gente deepens the understanding of mental health services, benefitting the patient, their family, and essentially – the greater community.
Who Mi Gente Serves
Our program is designed for Latinx/Hispanic youth, ages 12 to 21, a population that experiences limited access to direct mental health care services. Mi Gente is particularly beneficial to LGBTQ+ youth, who are more likely to face discrimination and rejection. Mi Gente is also directed to support youth’s caregivers, parents, and family members.
Our goal is to work as a team!
A Program that Makes the Difference
Patients are treated within a safe, supportive care environment that is responsive to cultural values and individual identities. Through therapy and psychoeducation, Mi Gente enables families to gain an understanding of mental health topics, treatment, and the phase of life youth and young adults are experiencing.
