CARE FOR ALL. Local organizations focused on mental health resources are talking about an unmet need for many: inclusive mental health care.

The increasing need for mental health care and treatment has reached a focal point in conversation, both nationally and locally. Groups like Neighbor to Neighbor and Joining Our Neighbors Advancing Hope (JONAH) Justice are working to address a lack of inclusive mental health resources available in the Chippewa Valley.

An Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) outreach minister, who asked to remain anonymous, acts as a liaison for members of northwest Wisconsin’s Hispanic population who seek mental health resources. She connects residents to JONAH’s Mental Health Task Force and other organizations through her ministry, Neighbor to Neighbor.

Originally from El Salvador, where she worked as a doctor, this individual immigrated to the United States to study human resources management and public health at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. In the ten years she’s spent around the Chippewa Valley, she has observed a lack in sufficient mental health care for local Latin American people.

“There is a big need in the Latin American community for mental health services that are not only in Spanish, but also have cultural sensitivity integrated in their program,” she said. “Through Neighbor to Neighbor, we work with Latin American people in northwest Wisconsin. We try to build bridges between families and the community resources available.”

During her outreach ministry across the region, she noted many Spanish-speaking families struggle with mental health obstacles, but few of them have access to the care they need.

“These people are experiencing common mental health challenges, but those barriers are preventing them from easily connecting with the local community, and from receiving adequate care,” she said. “Added to that, those of us who are immigrants have specific traumas related to our immigration history.”

"We are trying to open that space through Neighbor to Neighbor by getting humans who are able to provide those resources in Spanish and with cultural sensitivities."

LOCAL MINISTER

ecla outreach

"I believe that mental health is not only an individual problem or a family problem; mental health affects the whole community," says one Chippewa Valley minister.

The minister pointed to three individual experiences immigrants often go through before, during, and after their move to the United States – all of which can impact a person’s mental well-being.

The first trauma, she explained, is caused by the factors leading to an individual’s decision to leave their country of origin and start a new life somewhere else. The second trauma stems from the action of leaving one’s home and traveling to a new country. The third has to do with discrimination, racism, and other challenges a person might face surrounding their own identity once they’ve settled in the United States, she said.

The minister emphasized the way the United States’ current political climate has increased mental health challenges in the local Latin American community. She stressed these challenges are not solely related to immigration status — they primarily stem from systemic racism and discrimination occurring within the nation.

“We are all scared right now,” she said. “We continue to go about our daily lives, but we’re still faced with a lot of fear that has nothing to do with our immigration status, and everything to do with the color of our skin.”

The minister said she is not currently aware of any mental health resources in the Chippewa Valley that are in Spanish and include nuanced cultural perspective.

Psychology Today lists a number of area healthcare providers with an emphasis on resources for Hispanic and Latino individuals. The minister emphasized a need to inform the public about any care professionals who are currently offering services.

“We are trying to open that space through Neighbor to Neighbor by getting humans who are able to provide those resources in Spanish and with cultural sensitivities,” she said.

She has reached out to UW-Eau Claire’s psychology department, with hopes of working on a project to increase those resources for people in the community. Neighbor to Neighbor has also connected with JONAH Justice, in hopes of working together on community-wide mental health advocacy.

"We need to think about (mental health care) from that perspective, and get ride of stigma and prejudices based on mental health itself, but also based on gender, race, and social class."

LOCAL MINISTER

ECLA OUTREACH

Lynne Buske, an organizer for JONAH Justice, said the nonprofit formed a Mental Health Task Force several years ago. Its purpose, she noted, is to serve as an advocacy group and informative hub for accessible local mental health resources.

JONAH works with other regional organizations like the Wisconsin Milkweed Alliance — a regional “warm line” providing mental health services — and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

“Primarily, our focus is not direct service for people,” Buske noted. “Our goal is to advocate for systemic change.”

After hearing concerns from locals about the gaps in mental health care, JONAH joined a nationwide boots-on-the-ground initiative called the Green Bandana Project. Participants in the project are given green bandanas and a list of mental health resources to share with those around them.

Buske acknowledged that while the project is effective for some, it has not been entirely successful.

“People take the bandana because they're willing to have someone approach them. But the reality is, we're not in a place where people are ready to approach a stranger,” Buske said. “It's almost like a pride flag — it's self-validating for the person who's struggling.”

Along with these broader mental health initiatives, Neighbor to Neighbor organizes regular health fairs across northwest Wisconsin, with services in both English and Spanish. The minister said the group invites the local Latin American community to come and experience these events.

“I believe that mental health is not only an individual problem or a family problem; mental health affects the whole community,” the minister remarked. “We need to think about it from that perspective, and get rid of stigma and prejudices based on mental health itself, but based also on gender, race, and social class. Because that doesn’t help.”

Those interested in attending Neighbor to Neighbor gatherings, or in volunteering, can connect through the ELCA Northwest Synod of Wisconsin or visit jonahjustice.org for more information.