Suicide & Substance Use in Latino Communities: Culturally Grounded Approaches for Prevention & Treatment

This is a 2-part series hosted by IRESA.

DESCRIPTION:

This 2-part virtual training series is intended for mental health professionals and providers who are dedicated to delivering services to diverse Hispanic and Latino populations. It discusses suicidal behaviors and substance use, demographics of the Hispanic populations, risks, assessment, prevention, intervention, recovery, as well as school-related considerations. The training also includes information on cultural values and how they may relate to symptom manifestation, help-seeking behaviors, and the treatment processes. Furthermore, the training addresses risk and protective factors for suicide and co-occurring disorders among Hispanic and Latino populations, focusing on assessment and treatment approaches that are culturally grounded and strengths-based.

This series aims at developing the skills and enhancing the abilities of mental health professionals working with Latino populations at risk for suicide and/or co-occurring disorders. The training is structured through 5 learning modules that emphasize the role of culture as an integral part of prevention and treatment for suicidal behaviors and substance use.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:  

October 27, 2022

Modules 1 & 2: Introduction & Suicide-related Terms, Module 3: Risk and Protective Factors

Attendees will learn the following in the first session of this series:

• Address the importance of understanding suicide and substance use as a socio-cultural phenomenon
• Provide an overview of Latinos in the US including statistics on suicide and substance use
• Define terms related to suicidal behaviors and co-occurring disorders
• Discuss risk factors for suicidal behaviors and substance use including culture-related risk factors such as acculturative stress
• Address the importance of identifying protective factors including cultural values that may serve as protection for suicidal behaviors and substance use
• Provide strategies for exploring risk and protective factors for suicidal behaviors and substance use

November 10, 2022

Module 4: Assessment, Prevention, and Intervention; Module 5: When Suicide Happens in School Settings

Attendees will learn the following in the second session of this series:

• Identify effective strategies for assessment and engagement with Latino populations at risk of suicidal harm and substance use, including the Cultural Formulation Interview.
• Describe procedures and approaches to establishing the intent of suicidal harm
• Discuss family-centered Approaches and pertinence for Latino populations

• Discuss the role of connectedness in schools
• Address the role of teachers and other school personnel in suicide-related incidents in schools
• Provide resources for schools

CERTIFICATES:

Registrants who fully attend this series will receive a certificate of attendance. Certificates will be provided by the host agency (IRESA).

TRAINERS:

J Rocky Romero, PhD, LMSW

J Rocky Romero, PhD, LMSW is the CEO and owner of JR Romero & Associates, a company he started 21 years ago that focuses on behavioral health program development, program evaluation, consultation, and specialized training. Dr. Romero completed his doctoral studies at the University of New Mexico in Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies (LLSS) with a focus on analyzing legal discourse related so Spanish colonization while applying a critical race theory lens. Dr. Romero was a doctoral fellow for El Centro de la Raza at the University of New Mexico during his doctoral studies where he also served as the President of the College of Education’s student Graduate Association in LLSS. Dr. Romero is a former Assistant Professor for New Mexico Highlands University School of Social Work in Albuquerque, NM. He served as the co-chair for Governor Richardson’s New Mexico Higher Education Cultural Competency Taskforce. Dr. Romero has also served as an Executive Council member for the NM-Consortium for Behavioral Health Training and Research to include many other boards and committees. Dr. Romero has been a trainer and consultant for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funded National Hispanic & Latino-Mental Health Technology Transfer Center for the last 13 years. In his role as a Technical Assistance expert for the NHL-MHTTC he has recently helped plan, develop, solicit local and national funding for the Northeast Regional Crisis and Treatment Center developed by San Miguel County in Las Vegas, NM. Also, the NHL-MHTTC has contracted with Dr. Romero and a co-author to create a prevention curriculum on: Latino Youth Gang Involvement: The Impact of Trauma, the Social Determinants of Health, and the School to Prison Pipeline.

Dr. Romero continues to research the intersections of racism, discrimination, the impact of racialized legal discourse, and the impact of the social determinants of health on people of color, and he also presents nationally and internationally on these important topics.

Erick Senior, MA

Erick Senior is currently the Training and Content Specialist for the National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. He received his master’s degree in Psychology from The New School for Social Research and is currently completing his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Puerto Rico. He has worked in various clinical and research mental health settings providing services to Hispanic and Latinx groups, including as a Study Coordinator for the Albert Einstein School of Medicine and Behavioral Sciences Research Institute in Puerto Rico. Erick is experienced providing culturally grounded psychotherapy services to immigrant families and individuals including at the Roberto Clemente Center Family Guidance Center in New York and while working in post-disaster mental health recovery efforts in Puerto Rico for Hispanic Federation.