My name is Imelda Ojeda and I am part of the Latinx Therapist Action Network. I am also a Masters in Social Work, a Mexican immigrant and a Therapist. Most of all I am deeply committed to the healing of Latinx people in my lifetime. I believe that we will win and I believe that we will heal and this is why I am a proud founding member of the Latinx Therapists Action Network–check out our video!
I have worked with children, youth, and families in the Latinx community. I have worked in medical settings, school, family shelters, and behavioral health agencies and I have seen first hand the need for Latinx therapists that can properly address the needs of our community. I have seen the need, and I have seen also the negative effects it has on a family to be working with a mental health providers that are not equipped in trauma informed care.
As a social worker and behavioral health professional, I have seen first hand the trauma and hardship resulted from anti-migrant laws such as SB1070, the brutal separation of families at the border, and the effects that deportation and detention has on families and children. All this made it obvious that we needed to center addressing trauma and building the resilience of our communities. These experiences made me deeply committed to my field of Social Work.
This is exactly why the Latinx Therapists Action Network is so important to me. Our people continue dealing with their emotional struggles in silence, hoping that the trauma, anxiety, and depression would magically go away on its own. It is our responsibility and duty as Latinx mental health professionals and providers to do the best we can to support in addressing those needs and and play our role in breaking those cycles.
LTAN was born out of the need for quality front line providers that the community could connect with. Throughout the years and especially now under this administration, we have seen a tremendous increase in the number if individuals who have been affected by the harsh anti- immigration laws.
As Latinx providers, it is not enough to just be able to speak Spanish or speak the language of origin of our clients, we must understand the trauma and political context that created the circumstances which have brought them here today. Sometimes it is generational trauma that has been inflicted in their country of origin, sometimes is the trauma experienced during their journey to the US, sometimes it is anxiety and depression originated by the circumstances they are currently facing in the U.S. navigating discrimination, hate crimes, and immigration polices and practices. Sometimes it is all of this combined.
We are a group of social workers, counselors, researchers, and community organizers that have come together with the purpose of uplifting our Latinx community by bridging the gap between the movement building and mental health support. We hope to center trauma and resilience building through educating our community about their mental health and be of support and solidarity with those on the frontlines of the struggle for dignity and collective liberation of our immigrant communities.
Please check out our video and visit our online platform www.latinxtherapistsactionnetwork.org. Please share this announcement with your peers, grassroots organizations, all those who can benefit from the network or would be interested in being a part of it.
Imelda Ojeda
Masters In Social Work
Latinx Therapists Action Network
Founding Member