Project Summary:
Milwaukee's Southside, home to the largest Spanish-speaking Latino population in the city, faces significant health inequities from systemic barriers and social challenges. In this area, where household incomes range from $27,750 to $43,795 compared with the county average of $56,347, research has shown that one in four residents experiences housing insecurity, and one in five reports food insecurity and emotional abuse at home. These social stressors, combined with COVID-19's impact on the already strained mental health system, have created significant barriers to mental health care access for this underserved community.
St. Adalbert Church is partnering with the psychology departments at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette University to introduce the Cultivating Resilience program, an evidence-based mental health intervention co-designed with Latino community members. The project will establish both adult and youth community advisory boards to identify mental health priorities, deliver research dissemination series, and train community health workers (promotores de salud) and students to facilitate the program. Pilot testing has shown promising results, with 90% attendance rates and significant improvements in stress, depression, and anxiety outcomes.
This initiative aims to create a sustainable infrastructure for peer-led mental health programming that focuses on social connection, emotional support, community resource navigation, and stress management strategies. By placing these services within St. Adalbert Church, which serves 6,000 Latino congregants, the project leverages existing community trust to improve access to culturally conscious mental health support. The program's community-engaged approach and focus on building local capacity represents an innovative model for addressing mental health needs in underserved communities of color.
Community Partners: UW Milwaukee-Department of Psychology, Marquette University-Department of Psychology