Bienestar Latino Mental Health Coalition
Bienestar Latino Mental Health Coalition is a small, yet growing group of mental health professionals, pastors, church staff, social workers, artists, grassroots activists, case workers and social work professors who care deeply about and are committed to the Latino and Spanish-speaking community here in Waco.
Ana Chatham, a practicing counselor and leader in the organization shared, "they gather regularly to raise awareness regarding mental health amongst the Latino community in an effort to provide accurate information to an underserved population, and thereby de-stigmatizing mental illness and debunking many myths that are often held in regards to mental illness and seeking professional help." Many members identify as part of the Latino community and all share a passion for creating access to services and advocating for equity for the Latino community, especially the Spanish-speaking community.
When asked how they chose the name, Chatham shared, "Bienestar means wellbeing in Spanish. We chose the name because our approach to mental health is holistic - it's not just about not having a mental illness. It’s also about how we manage stress, our physical health, our family relationships, and our community connections. We find that focusing on wellbeing is not only a more effective and accurate way to approach mental health, but it is also a term that people can more easily connect to, making it easier to be open to and talk about."
Bienestar provides trainings to pastors, creates workshops and educational panels on mental health for church congregations, and currently is planning a self-care workshop that they hope to provide this fall. All programming is available in both Spanish and English.