RTI’s CEO Presented $21,500 Donation to Support Community Mental Health Services
El Futuro is excited to share a special visit from nonprofit research institute RTI International on June 18. The visit was highlighted by the presentation of a $21,500 donation check from RTI President and CEO Tim Gabel. The funds will go toward volunteer support and community partnerships, along with El Futuro’s annual luncheon and art auction.
“We are incredibly grateful for RTI’s generous support,” said Dr. Luke Smith, Executive Director of El Futuro. “This donation will significantly enhance our ability to provide essential mental health services to the Latino community – including therapy, case management, support groups, and substance use treatment – helping us to make a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.”
During the visit, RTI’s team received a comprehensive tour of El Futuro’s facilities, including an overview of operations, key areas of service, and a walkthrough of the community garden. Following the tour, Gabel presented the check and discussed the anticipated impact of this contribution on the community.
“Supporting impactful community partners like El Futuro is key to our mission and values,” said Gabel. “In addition to financial support, our researchers have worked closely with the staff to build capacity in evaluation to help expand services to more clients in North Carolina. We are honored to continue our collaboration to strengthen mental health in the Latino community.”
The purpose of RTI’s visit was to celebrate the partnership with El Futuro and raise awareness about the critical mental health services provided to the Latino community. This collaboration exemplifies the impactful outcomes that can be achieved when organizations unite around a shared mission and vision for the future.
RTI’s financial support was made possible through the institute’s Community Affairs program following a nomination by the UNA Comunidad employee resource group.
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