About the Program
The Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health & Addiction (FSSA/DMHA) has awarded a $100,000 grant to Affiliated Service Providers of Indiana, Inc. (ASPIN) to increase mental health awareness within the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and Latino-Hispanic communities to help overcome barriers in seeking mental health services.
FSSA/DMHA funding will enable ASPIN to enroll 25 members of the community in ASPIN’s Core Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Program to increase the number of Certified Community Health Workers that will directly serve BIPOC communities and individuals, reducing stigma and bringing awareness to mental health in a culturally appropriate and relatable way. ASPIN will focus on recruiting participants from Allen, Cass, Clinton, Elkhart, Jackson, Lake and Marion counties, as these counties currently have a larger population of individuals who are Latinx and/or African American. 
The funds will also allow ASPIN to develop a five-part webinar series utilizing national speakers focusing on addressing and removing stigma for members of Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a/x, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ communities. Participants will learn to identify and analyze barriers of cultural stigma in mental health treatment through activities, and self-assessments facilitated by a certified trainer. The purpose is to remove the barriers surrounding mental health treatment through education. The target audience for these webinars is primarily those providing services; however, the content would be of value to anyone with an interest in this topic.
Past Webinars
10/13/22 “Hablemos en Confianza: Destigmatizing Mental Health Services in the Latinx Community” Speaker: Oscar Fernando Rojas Perez, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist, Yale University School of Medicine – Watch Recording HERE
11/17/22 “Health, Hope, & Wholeness: An Open, Honest, and Transparent Conversation about Mental Health Stigma in the African American Community” Speaker: Brian Dinkins, Ed.D, CEO, Center for Empowering Education, Inc. – Watch Recording HERE
12/15/22 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Speaker: La Tonya Brown, ASCJ, BSHS, CEDJ, CTP, CCHW, DBT Founder and Director, Leading Ladies, Inc. – Watch Recording HERE
1/18/23 Affirmative Care: Providing Mental Health Services for Latinx LGBTQ+ Youth Speaker: Yovanska Duarte-Velez, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University – Watch Recording HERE
2/21/23 Building Authentic and Trusting Relationships with Communities of Color Speaker: Velshonna Luckey, MS, Founder, Pendulum Consulting, LLC – Watch Recording HERE
3/30/23 Unlocking the Potential of Youth: How Youth Workers Can Address Mental Health Stigma Speaker: Savino Rivera Jr., B.A., Area Director, Boys and Girls Club of St. Joseph County – Watch Recording HERE
4/20/23 Mental Health Stigma and the Latinx Immigrant Community
Speaker: Gilberto Pérez Jr., Ed.D., MSW, Bienvenido Community Solutions, LLC – Watch Recording HERE
5/3/23 Reducing Stigma among Asian Americans: The Personal Relevance of Psychotherapy
Speaker: Gordon C. Nagayama Hall, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon – Watch Recording HERE
6/29/23 Addressing Stigma and Engaging African American Men in Mental Health Treatment
Speaker: Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, On the Mark Consulting – Watch Recording HERE
7/26/23 Pride in Mental Health: Challenging Stigma in the LGBTQ+ Community
Speaker: Yovanska Duarté-Vélez, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University – Watch Recording HERE
8/31/23 Understanding and Addressing Serious Mental Illness: Navigating Stigma and Building Resilience
Speaker: Isa I. Velez-Echevarria, PsyD, Ohio State Project Manager, Great Lakes Addiction, Mental Health, and Prevention Technology Transfer Centers – Watch Recording HERE
9/7/23 Shattering Stigma: Supporting Youth with Serious Mental Illness and Suicidal Ideation
Speaker: Erica Medina, MA, LMFT, Staff Therapist, Seasons Counseling of Michiana – Watch Recording HERE
9/12/23 Bridging the Gap: Faith Communities and Mental Health
Speakers: Rev. Ken Weaver, LCSW, LMFT, LCAC, Hospice Chaplain, Parkview Health Systems, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church LaGrange and Goshen
Pastor Michael Downs, BA, Lead Pastor, Bridgeway Community Church
Rev. Theo Williams, PhD, Pastor, Covenant Community Church, Associate Professor of Communication, Bethel University – Watch Recording HERE
9/26/23 Building Authentic and Trusting Relationships
Speaker: Velshonna Luckey, MS, Founder, Pendulum Consulting, LLC – Watch Recording HERE
For more information about participating in the ASPIN CHW Program, and the webinar series, please contact Keny Chapman: kchapman@aspin.org BBA, CCHW-CT , Bilingual Program Coordinator or call 317.518.3077.