Belisa Urbina, the CEO of Ser Familia, a Georgia nonprofit that focuses on behavioral and mental health among Latinos, says her organization has big dreams for Latino youth but not having funding to support them is a huge issue.
“Latino kids in Georgia have more instances of severe depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation than almost any other child in the U.S.,” said Urbina.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, Hispanic/Latino youth report disproportionate rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. In 2019, one in six Hispanic/Latino high school students had serious thoughts of suicide.
On Thursday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Urbina talked about the lack of Spanish-speaking mental health counselors, the many barriers that Latino youth face and what Ser Familia is doing to holistically support Latino youth in metro Atlanta.
Read more at WABE.org.
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