SOUTH GATE, Calif. — With a cup of warm coffee and pan dulce in hand, mother of two Arlene Solis sits down, ready to chat with other parents about the loss of a job, life stress and ways to talk to their kids about mental health.

For Solis, this was a space to grieve loss while caring for her mental health. 

“The past two years, we lost a lot of family,” Solis said. “We lost a mom, a nephew, people we cared about.”

What You Need To Know

  • According to the American Psychiatric Association, every year 24,000 Latinos attempt to take their own lives

  • AltaMed Health Services is one of the nation’s largest community health centers

  • Its patient demographic is 80% Latino

  • AltaMed leads an initiative to increase mental health services to Latinos

The monthly gatherings are led by AltaMed Health Services — one of the nation’s largest community health centers with an 80% Latino patient demographic.

Gatherings that are part of AltaMed’s initiative to increase mental health services among Latinos.

“You hear therapy is as a no,” Solis said. “You don’t speak about what’s going on in your house. That’s your house, and it stays in your house. It doesn’t go out.”

According to the American Psychiatric Association, every year 24,000 Latinos attempt to take their own lives.

Solis said the wellness gatherings are a space that helps parents like her begin their own journey toward much needed mental well-being.

“It was very helpful because there were a lot of parents who brought stuff up and I know they broke down,” Solis said. “It’s like a second home because you’re like, OK, these people understand there’s no judgment.”

Mental health therapist Michael Villegas often leads the workshops at South Gate Middle School. Services in which Villegas provides to parents in a community he said may often carry unresolved trauma and are not afforded access to mental health resources.

“They themselves are willing to be vulnerable,” Villegas said. “I’ve had other members of my family who struggle with these things, but we just never really felt comfortable talking about them.”

With Villegas’ work at South Gate Middle School, he said there’s been a positive shift within the community.

“Over time, I’ve noticed that as a culture, the culture of the school is changing,” Villegas said. “Where there’s more of a welcoming attitude about accessing mental health services.”

An attitude that encourages parents like Solis to prioritize the mental well-being of her and her family. Making conversations easier that Solis said also will break generational stigmas that kept her from caring for her mental health.

“It’s easier to communicate with my kids and saying that you know what, let’s speak about this,” Solis said. “Let’s speak about the loss that we’ve had.”