Creating Partnership to Improve Access to Mental Health Services for Latino Youth April 21 st 2006 Carolyn Garcia, PhD, RN Kate Hunt, MPH, RN Denford Clinical Scholars

Background What we know about Latino adolescent mental health isn’t… Dissertation and community input Access disparities prevail Densford clinical scholar program

Specific Aims To establish university- community partnerships addressing Latino adolescent mental health To develop, pilot and administer an instrument measuring knowledge of existing mental health community resources To obtain cultural perceptions of mental health and preferences for services using focus groups

Methodology Community-based participatory research –Currently popular, historically effective –a "collaborative approach to research that equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each brings. CBPR begins with a research topic of importance to the community, has the aim of combining knowledge with action and achieving social change to improve health outcomes and eliminate health disparities." WK Kellogg Foundation Community Health Scholars Program

Activities Building partnerships –La Clinica –Neighborhood House –La Familia –HACER –Medical School-Powell Center –Centro Campesino (Owatonna) –Latino Parents/Adolescents –Churches

Activities Instrument development (summer 2006) –Community-level assessment: Knowledge of resources Cultural perceptions/beliefs –Parent/Adolescent versions –Bilingual –Pilot in rural and urban settings

Activities Focus groups (winter ) –Acquire in-depth knowledge re: mental health, preferred interventions/education –Parents/Adolescents Data analysis from existing sources (e.g. a qui para ti) Grant writing

Challenges Community –Time –Resources limited University –A to B as quick as possible –IRB process Funding

Successes Engagement –Meeting around the table Energy –Submitted grants with consistent letters of support from community partners Excitement

Densford Clinical Scholars Program Aims to improve patient care through creating partnerships between advanced practice nurses (APNs) and faculty members from the University of Minnesota's School of Nursing. The partners identify a clinical problem in the care setting that requires attention, and then develop and implement a clinical intervention for improving the situation. 20% of Faculty Member’s time is dedicated to the project and paid by the Densford Center.

Funding & Thanks Densford Center –Clinical Scholars program supports Garcia time (20%) Center for Adolescent Nursing –CDC funded T award supports Garcia’s post-doctoral fellowship La Clinica –Supports Hunt time (20%) Partnering agencies have supplied many letters of support for grants sought!

Creating Partnership to Improve Access to Mental Health Services for Latino Youth April 21 st 2006 Carolyn Garcia, PhD, RN Kate Hunt, MPH, RN Denford Clinical Scholars