Resiliencia y Prosperidad: Strengthening Our Workforce and Driving Recovery in Hispanic/Latino communities

October 9, 2024 | 3:00 pm-4:30 pm EDT

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA), Office of Behavioral Health Equity (OBHE) invites you to the “Resiliencia y Prosperidad: Strengthening Our Workforce and Driving Recovery in Hispanic/Latino Communities” webinar on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm EDT.

Join us for an exciting webinar celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, focusing on the contributions and achievements of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Attendees will learn about the current state of the Hispanic behavioral health workforce and how community partners build on the existing assets within their communities.

During this webinar, participants will:

Learn about the behavioral health workforce and the work in providing mental health and substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for Hispanic/Latino populations.

Hear from speakers that have effectively implemented culturally appropriate behavioral health interventions in Hispanic/Latino populations.

Gain knowledge about community partnerships and resources that were leveraged to develop programming for Hispanic/Latino populations.

Speakers

Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D.

Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon  (she/her) is currently Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. She previously served as Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) and served in this role for six years. Prior positions held at DMHAS include Deputy Commissioner, Senior Policy Advisor and Director of the department’s Office of Multicultural Healthcare Equity. In her role as Commissioner, Dr. Delphin-Rittmon was committed to promoting recovery oriented, integrated, and culturally responsive services and systems that foster dignity, respect, and meaningful community inclusion.

Larke Nahme Huang, Ph.D.

Director of the Office of Behavioral Health Equity (OBHE)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Larke Nahme Huang (she/her) is a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and Director of the Office of Behavioral Health Equity (OBHE). She is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked at the interface of policy, research and practice in behavioral health for nearly 35 years. As the Director of OBHE, Dr. Huang provides leadership to advance equity and eliminate disparities in behavioral health for underserved, minoritized communities and to ensure an equity agenda in SAMHSA programs and policies. She implements innovative efforts to advance health equity based on metrics of access, quality and outcomes of care for underserved, diverse populations, elevating a focus on strengthening community-level efforts and the consideration of social determinants of health.

Haner Hernández, PhD, CPS, CADCII, LADCI

Senior Consultant
New England Addiction Technology Transfer Center

Dr. Haner Hernández (he/him) has more than 36 years of experience in planning, implementing, and evaluating Substance Use Disorder, Mental Health, HIV/AIDS, HCV, Problem Gambling, and related services. Dr. Hernandez leads with a social justice lens and approach grounded in eliminating disparities and building equity. As a public health professional, with experience across the continuum, he embraces and promotes a greater understanding of the Structural Determinants of Health (SDOH) approach, coupled with implementing multiple strategies over multiple domains. Dr. Hernandez also believes that quality public health work cannot be accomplished without true partnerships and engagement with people with lived and living experiences, their families, and formal and meaningful relationships with community-based organizations and institutions. As a person in long-terms recovery, Dr. Hernandez is committed to uplifting the voices of people in recovery and wellness processes and works tirelessly creating equitable and meaningful access and quality of care to the entire Public Health Continuum, which includes Prevention, Intervention, The Multiple Pathways of Recovery, including Treatment, and Recovery Supports.

Manuel J. Jiménez Jr., MA, LMFT

Regional Director
Central Valley

Manuel J. Jiménez Jr (he/him) is the Regional Director for La Familia Central Valley. He has worked in the mental health profession for 32 years and assumed a variety of leadership roles. While working for Santa Cruz County Children’s Mental Health, he created innovative programs for SED children. Mr. Jiménez served as the Ethnic Services Coordinator in El Dorado County where he worked for over 6 years. In 2002, he created a dual diagnosis program called Un Paso Adelante, which served the Latino community in San Joaquin County. Also, while working for San Joaquin County Mental Health, he served as a program manager for several mental health programs serving adults. Most recently he worked as a Division Manager of Adult Services for Madera County Behavioral Health Services and served as the Senior Manager of the Adult Mental Health Clinic in Fairfield, for Solano County, where he has also served as the Vallejo Clinic Manager. He also served as a Section Manager in Sonoma County. He also served as the Mental Health Director and Alcohol & Drug Administrator, and Public Guardian/Conservator for Merced County. As the Behavioral Health Director for Alameda County, he operated a $450 million budget. Recently he is he owner of A Step Forward, A Path to Wellness. He also founded First Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center, a nonprofit agency providing mental health services in Merced, Stanislaus, and Madera Counties. More recently, FBHUCC merged with La Familia Counseling Services where he serves as the Regional Director for La Familia Central Valley.

Ruth Yáñez, LCSW

Mental Health Therapist
Whole Self Couseling

Ruth Yáñez (she/her/ella) is a bilingual, bicultural, and binational Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience as an interpreter and translator, currently based in Albuquerque, NM. She is the founder and owner of Voces de Vida, where she provides therapy and advocates for the Latino/e/x immigrant community. Ruth earned her master’s degree in social work with a concentration in Generalist Studies from New Mexico State University.

Ruth’s professional journey began as a case manager, promotora, and community health worker, in both medical and community settings, where she gained invaluable experience working directly with underserved populations. She also has experience as a medical social worker, which further deepened her understanding of the healthcare system’s challenges. She later transitioned into national roles, including serving as a Program Specialist at the National Latino Behavioral Health Association and the National Hispanic and Latino Addiction Technology Transfer Center. Eventually, she found her passion in clinical and community work, particularly focusing on the Latino/e/x community and newcomers, immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and monolingual Spanish speakers.

Jessenia D. Zayas-Ríos, DBH, MPHE, CHES

Program Manager
Hispanic Latino Behavioral Health Center of Excellence

Dr. Jessenia D. Zayas-Ríos (she/her) is the Program Manager at the Hispanic Latino Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (H/LBH CoE), an educational research center focused on bringing training and technical assistance to healthcare professionals that serves Hispanic and Latine communities to enhance the access to care and health services in Puerto Rico and United States. As a Behavioral Health Consultant and a Health Educator Specialist, she works integrating physical and mental to improve the communities to improve their health.  She completed a Doctorate in Behavioral Health (DBH) in Arizona State University and now she is working in the field of enhancing the quality of behavioral and clinical healthcare services in primary care settings and in the public health field. She also completed a master’s degree in public health education (MPHE) at the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, with ample experience in research and evaluating public health initiatives, using modern and relevant statistical methods for analysis of data for the health promotion and health education approach. In the past years, she collaborated with an experienced team of researchers and mentors with expertise in developing, monitoring, and evaluating health promotion initiatives in cancer, HCV, STD/HIV, diabetes, alcohol, violence prevention, and environmental health topics.  

Speakers

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