We have news! We were selected by MTV to host an event on May 18th for Mental Health Action Day called “Voces Unidas” and the whole community is invited! El Futuro was awarded a two-year contract through Durham County’s American Rescue Plan Act Funds in order to develop a transformative model of specialized mental health services for Latine adolescents. We are excited to announce the launch of our new Latine Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health Program (LAYA).
The “Voces Unidas” day-long celebration of Latinx youth mental health would officially kick off this new program, increasing mental health awareness for youth destigmatizing seeking help, and inspiring action and healing.
“Through MTV’s support, we are able to take important steps towards increasing mental health visibility, breaking down these barriers, and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background or identity, has access to the support and resources they need to attend to their mental health and well-being. We are deeply grateful for this partnership, and we look forward to continuing to partner in efforts to create a world where mental health is a priority for all and Latine youth, adolescents, and young adults experience the support and compassion they need to thrive.” – Rachel Siegel, Bilingual therapist and LAYA Clinical Lead at El Futuro
We are planning activities including teen yoga, parent info sessions, a mindfulness walk, therapeutic gardening, tie dying, bonfire w s’mores, and a memorial lantern release. We will also have food, drinks, music and are hoping to have some of our amazing community partners set up tables.
Come and join us this May 18th and bring your family to enjoy mindfulness activities!. Sign up HERE if you want to volunteer for this event
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