Latino Behavioral Health Services (LBHS) is a “peer” (consumer/family), community based non-profit that provides support and educational programs at no cost, we focused on empowerment and recovery from behavioral health issues. We offer specialized minority outreach, for individuals with mental illness (consumers) and/or substance use disorders and their families. Resources and Recovery informatio
n in different languages and responsive to cultural needs to the general public, consumer and their families is offered to erase stigma and discrimination and to raise awareness, as well as, training to other servicing agencies on cultural competency and responsiveness to the characteristics of the minority population they serve. Latino Behavioral Health Services (LBHS) is a nonprofit, grassroots organization created to minimize the disparities in access to mental health services among the underserved Latino population of Utah. As a peer run organization, Latino Behavioral Health Services exists to enhance the mental health awareness and well-being of people with mental illness, their care-givers and loved ones through support, education, empowerment, facilitation of resources and services with competent responsiveness to cultural, socio-economic and linguistics characteristics. The work of LBHS embodies a theory of change rooted in capacity building: teach a man to fish one at a time. The boards of directors as well as all resident partners working for LBHS are individuals who have personally been affected by both mental illness and minority status and immigration. People come to our programs to seek support for themselves or their families. As they raise their awareness, learn and are supported, these individuals and their families move into recovery and a greater state of well-being. With new knowledge and changed attitudes, they are often inspired to give back to the community that helped them. We hope to build the capacity of each individual that chooses to get more involved; providing them with training, new skills, opportunities to teach, or to engage in advocacy or fundraising activities. In this way, our resident partner-run programs are sustainable and build capacity into families and communities. Through this process, we seek to simultaneously increase knowledge about mental illness in the community, reduce stigma, empower people to create change, and build the capacity of people to do so. LBHS does not work with volunteers, all participants are resident partners and as part of their recovery, they engage in advocacy, education, and community capacity building.
