SPRINGDALE, Ark. — A Springdale nonprofit is ensuring its community has the tools to help their loved one's mental health.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Hispanic adults are 17% less likely than multiracial or white adults to have received mental health treatment in the past year. Seeing the need, OneCommunity has enlisted the help of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
OneCommunity has helped immigrant families since 2009. Recognizing the ambition of creating opportunities for their descendants, the Springdale nonprofit meets with parents to recognize their families' issues. The Interim Executive Director said one of their parent classes realized the growing issue of mental health through the pandemic.
Lourdes Lopez has worked for OneCommunity for almost 11 years and has seen the growing need with families and their children.
"Right now, the youth at a young age are harming their lives without knowing it. Sometimes, the parents don't realize how important it is to take care of our children and how to guide them and help them," Lopez said.
Lopez and Ortiz both looked to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing's Mental Health First Aid class.
"It teaches us to recognize symptoms and signs in other people, and it brings you such an awareness that you know how to help people," Ortiz said. "Now you know how to talk to them, and the right words that you can say, and how to direct them to get help."
Ortiz said the class helped her forget the stigma behind seeking mental health help.
"After taking this class myself, there were so many things that I didn't know that it helped me understand and remove that stigma and accept that is something everyone goes through, but we don't talk about it," Ortiz added.
There was just one issue when the group decided they would provide the classes for the families, there were no Spanish-speaking instructors in Arkansas. Through a grant, OneCommunity took it into their own hands and had two instructors travel from Texas to certify members of the nonprofit.
As newly-trained instructors, OneCommunity has taught their third class this month and they're looking to teach six classes next year. Parents spend a whole day to complete the class while any prospective instructors are invited to take a week-long class for certification.
"I hope that all the people that take this class today, leave with an open mind to keep helping because it's not just one person, it's not just me," Lopez said.
"It gets very emotional because a lot of families are going through mental health problems, whether [it's] teenagers with friends or family," Ortiz said. "After finding out that they can do something about it, it's very touching."
Ortiz hopes to one day offer the program to everyone in Northwest Arkansas but is concerned about funding to continue offering it free to families. If you'd like to make a donation to OneCommunity or participate in any of their programs, visit their website.
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