Ruben Rivera, RMC Hispanic Ministries coordinator, was recently invited to participate in a certification program on Mental Health First Aid, a national program that provides training in skills for responding to the signs of mental illness and substance use.
“Our Hispanic community is confronted with a variety of challenges, including low social economic status and immigration status. These two issues could lead to increased anxiety and depression. The training provided attendees with resources to help support our Latino communities,” Rivera commented. “The information I learned will help me orient the Hispanic pastoral team so we can train our leaders to refer to professional mental health agencies when needed.”
About 30 people attended the certification, including nurses, social workers, teachers, counselors, and parents interested in learning more about mental health. The certification was held April 26 in Commerce City, Colorado, and was hosted by Community Reach Center. The sessions were held in Spanish so the Latino community in the Denver Metro area was able to participate.
RMCNews with Ruben Rivera
