At El Futuro, we believe that providing quality mental health care to Latino communities requires more than strong clinical skills—it demands calor humano, the warmth and cultural awareness that make healing possible.
La Academia, El Futuro’s internal clinical training program, was created with this vision in mind. Through hands-on learning, mentorship, and real-world application, this eight-month initiative equips early-career therapists to serve Latino families with confidence, compassion, and cultural humility.
But why is this so important?
Latino communities across North Carolina face unique mental health challenges. Language barriers, cultural stigma, and the lack of bilingual, culturally responsive providers often keep people from receiving the care they need. Even well-trained clinicians can struggle to connect meaningfully without understanding the cultural context of their clients’ lives.
That’s where La Academia steps in.
By combining evidence-based clinical education with El Futuro’s deep understanding of Latino cultural values, La Academia bridges the gap between theory and practice. The result? Clinicians who not only know what to do but also understand how and why to do it in ways that resonate with the communities they serve.
Feedback from more than 25 graduates confirms what we see every day: La Academia boosts confidence, strengthens cultural competence, and inspires clinicians to stay in the field—helping to build a more sustainable and compassionate mental health workforce for the future.
La Academia is part of El Futuro’s TECS (Training, Education, and Capacity Strengthening) department, which develops practical, culturally grounded tools for mental health professionals statewide. Alongside initiatives like La Mesita and customized consultations, TECS creates learning spaces rooted in human warmth and shared growth.
Explore our infographic below to see how La Academia transforms learning into lasting impact—for clinicians, for communities, and for the future of Latino mental health care.
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