Training, Education and Consultation Services (TECS)
In El Futuro’s years of experience providing community-based mental health services to Latine families in North Carolina, a few things have become clear to us: The needs of the Latine community are not unique to the Triangle, and there is a wider community of providers across North Carolina and beyond who need support in doing this difficult and important work.
That’s why we created the La Mesita and ALMA programs in El Futuro’s Training, Education, and Consultation Services (TECS) Department!
La Mesita Latine Mental Health Provider Network is a place where those serving the Latine community in NC and beyond can come together to share resources, referrals, and continuing education opportunities. La Mesita hosts continuing education opportunities relevant to Latine Mental Health every month including monthly webinars, biennial conferences, a self-directed course, and more! You can learn more about our upcoming programming below.
Advancing Latine Mental Health Access (ALMA) serves as a resource center for organizations and programs seeking to improve their culturally responsive mental health practices. Is your organization seeing more Latine clients, would you like a staff-wide training opportunity, or would you like technical assistance in developing culturally responsive policies? ALMA is here for you!
Upcoming Programming
“Screening for Depression in Latino/e/x Communities: Clinical & Cultural Considerations to Depression Identification & Treatment”
May 9th, 2025 from 12:00-1:30 PM ET
Presented by Linda Guzman, Ph.D.
Webinar Description:
This webinar training will provide mental health professionals, primary care providers, and community health workers with practical tools and knowledge to enhance depression screening and treatment in Latino/e/x communities. Participants will explore key clinical and cultural considerations that influence depression identification, including the use of Spanish-language screening tools like the PHQ-9, cultural expressions of distress, and the impact of stigma, acculturation, and systemic barriers on mental health care access. The training will focus on evidence-based strategies to improve communication, foster patient engagement, and deliver culturally responsive care. Through real-world examples and interactive discussions, attendees will learn how to implement patient-centered approaches that reduce disparities and promote mental health equity for Latino/e/x individuals.
*This webinar is eligible for 1.5 NBCC and 1.5 APA continuing education (CE) credits. Please see below for more information.
Meet Our May Presenter:
Linda E. Guzman, Ph.D., received her B.A. in psychology and minor in Spanish summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Lloyd International Honors College. She then worked as a project coordinator at the Sheps Center for Health Service Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before pursuing her master’s and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Dr. Guzman completed her pre-doctoral clinical psychology residency in the Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine Track at the Warren Albert Medical School of Brown University. She was selected as a SAMHSA Fellow of the Month for her community-centered work. She was one of six winners nationwide of the 2024 Postdoctoral Health Psychology Award for Clinical Excellence by the American Psychological Association Division 38 Society for Health Psychology. Dr. Guzman is an elected student co-representative board member of the Society of Implementation Research Collaboration. She is completing a postdoctoral fellowship in implementation science at Brown University. Her research focuses on culturally responsive behavioral interventions that are feasible and acceptable for Latine and other minoritized populations. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
Ready to Register?
Click the button below and we’ll see you on May 9th!
*Please see below for both NBCC and APA continuing education (CE) details.*
Continuing Education
El Futuro has been approved by NBCC for NBCC credit. Sessions approved for NBCC credit are clearly identified. El Futuro is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. NBCC Approval No. 6947.
For participants that register for continuing education, this webinar will provide 1.5 NBCC Hours.
El Futuro is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. El Futuro maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Sessions approved for APA credit are clearly identified. Our April 11th webinar is eligible for 1.5 CE credits.
Participants should confirm continuing education credit information for licensure requirements with their state licensing board(s). If you need any additional information about a program for your licensure, please reach out to us at lamesita@elfuturo-nc.org.
Cancellation Policy
In the event of a cancellation, we will provide notification as soon as possible so participants can adjust their schedule accordingly. Participants who need to cancel may choose to do so at any time but will not receive a Certificate of Completion.
Accommodations
Please contact lamesita@elfuturo-nc.org to let us know if you need accommodations at least 1 week before an event. We will work to the best of our abilities to fulfill all accommodation requests.
Concern Response and Grievance Policy
We have carefully modeled the environment around our learning activities to be one characterized by mutual collegiality, kindness, and a commitment to constant learning. This environment allows for providers of all disciplines, regardless of their level of experience, to feel comfortable in taking part in and benefiting from our programming. It is our hope that all La Mesita members will join us in preserving this environment we have cultivated over the years through your participation across our programming.
You can request our full grievance policy or submit a concern by reaching out to us at lamesita@elfuturo-nc.org.
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