Immigrant Mental Health Solidarity Network (IMHSN)
Building a Stronger Mental Health System for Immigrant Communities in North Carolina
The Immigrant Mental Health Solidarity Network (IMHSN) is a statewide collaborative working to advance a more just, responsive, and culturally grounded mental health system for immigrants and refugees across North Carolina. Since its launch in 2023, IMHSN has brought together organizations, community leaders, and advocates committed to ensuring that immigrant mental health is shaped by the voices and lived experiences of the communities most impacted.
What We’ve Built Together
IMHSN was launched in 2023 with support from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of North Carolina and the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, and was anchored by El Futuro, a nonprofit leader in Latino mental health care and advocacy.
During its founding phase, the network:
- Established a statewide, cross-community collaborative focused on immigrant mental health
- Created space for shared learning, relationship-building, and collective strategy
- Centered immigrant and refugee leaders in conversations about systems change
- Built a strong foundation rooted in equity, inclusion, and community accountability
This early phase demonstrated the power of collaboration across regions, identities, and sectors — and laid the groundwork for long-term collective impact.
The Anchor Organization: NC Counts Coalition
IMHSN is now anchored by NC Counts Coalition, a statewide organization with deep experience in immigrant and refugee advocacy, coalition-building, and systems change. As IMHSN evolved, network members and funders recognized the importance of transitioning to a leadership structure that could support the network’s growth while deepening its commitment to inclusive, statewide representation.
NC Counts Coalition brings:
- Extensive statewide reach and infrastructure
- Skilled facilitation and coalition leadership
- A strong commitment to immigrant leadership and civic inclusion
- Experience holding collaborative efforts accountable to community-defined goals
As anchor organization, NC Counts Coalition provides the organizational backbone needed to sustain and strengthen the network — while ensuring that immigrant voices and lived experiences remain at the center of all decision-making.
Looking Ahead
With NC Counts Coalition as its anchor organization, IMHSN is entering its next phase with renewed capacity and shared vision. Together, network members will continue to build on the strong foundation already established to:
- Advance equitable mental health policies and systems
- Strengthen collaboration across immigrant and refugee communities
- Support collective advocacy grounded in lived experience
- Ensure immigrant mental health remains a statewide priority
Collaboration and mutual learning remain at the heart of IMHSN’s work. This transition reflects not a change in values, but a deepening of the network’s commitment to inclusive leadership and long-term impact.
Alvely Alcántara, LCSW
Rossy C. Garcia, MEd 
Katy Sims, MD 
Everardo Aviles, LCSW, LCAS (Eve)
As a medical anthropologist and social work researcher, Dr. Gulbas’ research embodies interdisciplinarity through the integration of applied theories of health and human development with qualitative and ethnographic methodologies. Her work seeks to understand how people—children, families, and providers—navigate complex sociocultural landscapes in the pursuit of mental health. Most of her work, to date, focuses attention on developing more robust interpretations of suicide risk. With funding from the National Institutes of Mental Health, this body of research has contributed to advancements in theoretical and empirical knowledge of the broader contexts within which youth suicide risk is situated. 
R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez is a developmental psychologist and an assistant professor of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is the principal investigator of a study that examines the impact of immigration-related threat and stress on school communities. She earned a PhD in developmental psychology from Columbia University and hold a BA in human biology from Stanford University. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a first gen college student.
Dr. Parra-Cardona is an Associate Professor in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work (SHSSW) at the University of Texas at Austin. At the SHSSW, he serves as Coordinator for Mexico and Latin American initiatives. He also serves as Area Director for Research at the UT Austin Latino Research Institute. Dr. Parra-Cardona’s program of research is focused on the cultural adaptation of evidence-based parenting interventions for low-income Latinx populations in the US and Latin America.
Bianka Reese, PhD, MSPH is a research scientist and program evaluator specializing in adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health. Her previous research in the experiences of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth stems from her work as the Research and Evaluation Manager at SHIFT NC (Sexual Initiatives For Teens), where she led largescale evaluations of multilevel, community-based sexual health promotion initiatives and research projects aimed at elevating the voices of diverse youth in North Carolina. Dr. Reese is currently the Senior Research Strategist at Creative Research Solutions, LLC, an award-winning national evaluation, research, and assessment firm.
Tania Connaughton-Espino, MPH is an independent researcher focused on adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health. Her interest in the experiences of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth stems from her previous work with SHIFT NC (Sexual Initiatives For Teens), where she led the training and evaluation department, conducted capacity-building workshops for youth serving professionals including on the topic of how to be more affirming of LGBTQ youth, and from her extensive experience working with the Latinx population in NC.
Maru Gonzalez, EdD is an Assistant Professor and Youth Development Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at North Carolina State University. Her areas of inquiry include youth development with a focus on activism, social justice, and the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people across familial, school, and community contexts. 
Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas, PhD
Hector Y. Adames, PsyD