News
El Futuro is a community-based nonprofit organization that seeks to transform Latino-serving mental health care in North Carolina and beyond. We provide bilingual and culturally-responsive mental health services including therapy, psychiatry, substance use treatment, and case management in a welcoming environment of healing and hope.
Founded as a volunteer project by Dr. Luke Smith in 2001 to address the unmet need for bilingual mental health services for North Carolina’s growing Latino immigrant community, we were incorporated as a nonprofit in 2004. Our mission is to nurture stronger familias to live out their dreams.

Celebrating 20 years of impact
As El Futuro enters its twentieth year of providing mental health services to the Latino community, we look back and look forward on where we’ve come and where we are going!This 2024 marks El Futuro's 20th anniversary of serving a resilient and brave community. During...

Understanding ADHD
A Conversation with Tamara Schlez, Coach of ADHD at El Futuro Did you know that nearly 12% of Hispanic children between the ages of 3 and 17 may have ADHD? And yet, many of them never receive the diagnosis or support they need. At El Futuro, we’re working to change that. We sat down with Tamara,...

We Received TELUS Grant for Latine Youth Support
El Futuro has received grant funding from the TELUS North Carolina Community Board for its LAYA (Latino Adolescent and Young Adult) program. With this grant, LAYA will expand support to Latino youth and families by expanding access to culturally responsive mental health care, uplifting youth...

El Futuro’s Stepped Care: A New Vision for Mental Health
“Over half of adults with mental illness in the U.S. receive no treatment—and the shortage of mental health professionals means that gap is only growing.” — National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Anyone who has accessed mental healthcare for themselves or a loved one knows that demand for...

This May Be a Mental Health Ambassador
May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, a powerful reminder that mental well-being and healing matters for everyone—including the Latino and Spanish speaking community. While conversations around mental health are growing, many Latino people still face barriers to support due to stigma, lack of...