1. NATIONAL LATINO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION
County Behavioral Health Directors Association
Presentation by the
NATIONAL LATINO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION
Fredrick Sandoval, MPA - Executive Director
Robert Martinez, NLBHA President
Jorge Monzon, NLBHA Associate & Interpreter
December 13, 2017

2. NLBHA VISION AND MISSION
Our vision is to reduce the great disparities that exist in the areas of funding, access and quality of care for Latino consumers and families needing mental health and substance abuse services and supports.
The mission of NLBHA is to influence national behavioral health policy, eliminate disparities in funding and access to services, and improve the quality of services and treatment outcomes for Latino populations.

3. NLBHA PRIORITIES
Advocate for policy issues in Latino behavioral health services and delivery at a local, state, regional and national level;
Provide Training and Technical Assistance in Workforce Issues (including a Behavioral Health Interpreter Training both face to face and On-Line and JTR Scholarship/Mentorship Program);
Latino Focused Behavioral Health Research (Led and completed the national research project on Community-Defined Evidence Practices);
Provide and Promote Latino Family Focused Interventions (Familia Adelante – Evidence Based Prevention program for Latino youth and their parents);
Develop Latino Appropriate and Relevant tools, infographics, policy papers, workshops and research materials specific to Latino outreach, programs, policy, community engagement, planning and evaluation.

4. NLBHA CORE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS
Behavioral Health Interpreter Training (BHIT) for Interpreters and Monolingual Providers; a New On-Line BHIT training will begin in 2018;
Familia Adelante Training (Evidenced Based Prevention Training) of Facilitators to conduct Latino youth (ages 10-14) and their parent on the curriculum along with implementation TA and program evaluation;
Latino Based Specific Technical Assistance: For example: “How to Tool Kits,” infographics, planning, survey, environmental scan & evaluation services, including organizational Cultural & Linguistic Competency (CLC) Self Assessments & CLC Plans.
Conduct Latino Best-Practices Training via webinars, on-site training, Latino content specific programs or practices; videoconferencing, webcasts, and train on the CLAS Standards and other CEU-based Latino Behavioral Health training(s);
Job Carousel for posting vacancies and job ads with focus on recruiting Latino Behavioral Health Clinicians (bilingual/bicultural); posted for national distribution on NLBHA website and Facebook.
Juntos Network: A free national E-News newsletter focusing on announcements, conferences, special postings, community campaigns, funding notices, and other alerts & publications

5. CALIFORNIA Based Customers and Projects
Behavioral Health Interpreter Training: Tulare County, Southern California Regional Partnership (6 Counties), CIBHS (Sacramento County), Seneca Agencies, Alameda County;
Familia Adelante: Ventura County, San Bernardino County, San Fernando Valley, City of San Francisco (Developer Dr. Richard Cervantes, CEO Behavioral Assessment, Inc.);
Border Initiative: Strategic Prevention Framework training San Diego area prevention providers working along the binational border;
Outreach and Enrollment Project: CMS named NLBHA “Champion of Coverage” trainer – Los Angeles County Environmental Scan Focus Group on Uninsured Latinos; Tenemos Voz - Consumer Planning Group, Los Angeles area;
Community Defined Evidence Practices: Influenced the inclusion of community defined evidence programs subsequently passage in California mental health services policy.

6. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISPARITIES IMPACTED BY NLBHA SERVICES
Workforce Development
Gap of recruitment, enrollment, retention and graduation of Latino college students
Shortage of culturally and linguistically competent Spanish Speaking Practitioners
Gap in recruitment, hiring and retention of bilingual Practitioners
Language Access
Gaps in language access by Limited English Proficient (LEP) populations in the U.S.
Shortage of agencies who make available culturally/linguistically competent Practitioners
Shortage in trained behavioral health interpreters and monolingual English speakers using interpreters
Treatment Outcomes
Latino populations (& sub-groups) have shortest length of behavioral health service(s) engagement/participation
Shortage of culturally and linguistically appropriate service models, service delivery, and programs
Low retention rates of Latinos in treatment and continued high rates of poor health indicators
Research Deficits
Shortage of Latino Based culturally and linguistically appropriate research projects
Gap in recruitment and hiring of culturally and linguistically appropriate Latino Researchers
Misconceptions/lack of awareness of issues prevalent and in need of attention for Latino communities by funders
Policy & Funding Deficits
Lack of policies addressing specific experiences of Latino Communities (such as low insurance enrollment)
Funding for purchasing Latino based prevention and treatment programs inadequate for the scope of the problem & population
Low level of awareness, policy adoption and adherence to CLAS Standards for LEP populations

7. NEXT STEPS
Presentation to the County Behavioral Health Services Directors Association – December 13, 2017 meeting
Presentation to the Ethnic Services Managers – January meeting
Offer and Submit bids and proposals to provide professional training & technical assistance services to CBHDA – Ongoing

8. CONTACT US
Fredrick Sandoval, MPA Maxine Henry, MSW, MBA Executive Director Associate Director (505) (505) and on Facebook