The ESPERANZA Project

​Nuestra Cultura de Salud

An innovative community-based partnership model of strengthening mental health service delivery for Latinx in Dane County.

Overview:
Esperanza is a Centro Hispano of Dane County and UW-Madison School of Education partnership funded by the Wisconsin Partnership Program. Esperanza mobilizes hope by nurturing and growing the potential of our Latinx community through: (1) Increasing access to culturally appropriate mental health services with training and intervention; and (2) Strengthening family-centered community programming that addresses the social determinants of health. Nuestra cultura de salud views health through a holistic framework that seeks to address the physical, psychological, social, environmental, political and cultural factors that influence wellness.
  
Through Esperanza we declare there is a need for alignment of what is essential for a thriving and vibrant Latinx community. Nuestra Cultura de Salud positions our work at the center, and asserts the importance of Esperanza in the long-term health of our Latinx community in Dane County.

Mission: Esperanza supports community wellbeing through community mental wellness programming and structural change
 
Vision: A Dane County Latinx community that is strengthened by systems that support Esperanza as necessary for good health.

Guiding Frameworks:

• No Health Without Mental Health & Systemic Change (Adames & Chávez-Dueñas, 2019)
• Healthy People 2020 County Health Rankings model
• WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health Conceptual Framework (2010)

​Clinical Training: 
As part of this training program, students can expect to… 

1. Build knowledge grounded in liberation psychology, anti-racist, and decolonization frameworks that promote radical healing 
2. Develop outreach and advocacy skills through local partnerships and interventions
3. Engage in culturally and linguistically-affirming programming that promotes students' personal and professional wellness and capacity to thrive

Long-term Partnership Goals: 
Stimulating Esperanza (hope) to…

• Seed community leaders to become powerful advocates and organizers to redress harm & promote linguistic and cultural strengths of Latinx community
• Promote mental health literacy specific to the Latinx community among personnel across community partners
• Develop a model of training that integrates culturally and linguistically appropriate practice and advocacy with science that promotes social action  
• Demonstrate the collective impact of partnership programming for social, family well-being and psychological health.
• Build long-term partnerships that help increase mental health and wellbeing of Latinx community in Madison & Dane County

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