Progreso Latino Fund Grants Expand Access to Mental Health Services

Cultural stigmas and social taboos make mental health a difficult topic, creating barriers to seeking treatment and leaving communities vulnerable to suffering from mental health issues. Our Latine community is far more likely to face these barriers as well as inadequate access to culturally appropriate treatment.

To address this issue, the Progreso Latino Fund has awarded grants to three Greater New Haven organizations working to provide the Latine community access to affordable mental health care and education.

The three grant recipients are The Gateway Community College Foundation, Cornell Scott-Hill Health Corporation and Spanish Community of Wallingford.

“The Gateway Foundation is thrilled to partner with the Progreso Latino Fund to make this project possible,” said Gateway Foundation Board Chair Thomas Beirne III.

“The Community Foundation is there for Gateway students in so many ways. This $11,000 grant will create the space for Latine students to say what programs, services and supports will best help them succeed at Gateway,” according to Beirne.

Gateway has the highest percentage of Latine students of any campus in CT State Community College. It also awards the highest rate of Pell grants within the 12-community college system, and its students are the most financially under-resourced.

“We are excited to support all three organizations in their work to improve mental health care access for the Latine community. The Progreso Latino Fund created this grant to remove the barriers to care faced by our community, and each project is clearly anchored in what PLF intended to support. We look forward to seeing the impact in years to come,” said Tara Davila and Yari Ijeh, Co-Chairs of the Progreso Latino Fund advisory committee.

Grant Awards

Gateway Community College Foundation — $11,000 to support mental health services for Latine students at Gateway Community College.

Cornell Scott-Hill Heath Corporation — $11,000 to support outreach and education to the Latine community about the importance of behavioral health treatment in an effort to destigmatize the idea of seeking help for mental health and issues related to substance abuse disorder.

Spanish Community of Wallingford — $11,500 to support the cost of materials, supplies and wrap-around services for the success of the bilingual mental health educational group sessions, lessons and workshops offered to the Latine, undocumented, uninsured, underprivileged members of the Wallingford community.