ABOUT US
About The Latinx Therapists Action Network
We are a network of Latinx mental health practitioners that are committed to honoring and affirming the human dignity of Latinx immigrant communities marginalized by violence, criminalization, detention, and deportation. The current political assaults on the migrant community can devastate the spirits, livelihoods, and wellbeing of these communities, leaving deep emotional, physical, spiritual, and political wounds. We form this network as an affirmation of our humanity, our worthiness, our power, and all our people’s beauty. We declare that our future is bright and self-determined.
What We Do
FOCUS #1
Directory of Latinx Therapists
FOCUS #2
Build the resiliency of the migrant rights movement and its leadership through mental health education
FOCUS #3
Build the consciousness of Latinx Therapists about issues of criminalization, incarceration and migration
FOCUS #4
Stand in Solidarity with the Migrant Rights Movement to Stop Migrant Criminalization, Detention and Deportation
The 5 Guiding Principles of
The Latinx Therapists Action Network
PRO-LATINX
We acknowledge that our Latinx community is beautifully diverse and rich with culture, language and identity, and we choose to celebrate it. To be Latinx and love all of ourselves means to be pro-black, pro-woman, pro-queer, pro-trans, pro-working class, pro-differently-abled, pro-indigenous, and pro-immigrant. We honor the cultural
practices that have enabled our communities to overcome oppression and build resilience for generations. We commit to providing culturally grounded care.
HEALING JUSTICE
Our ancestral lineages have survived centuries of attempted erasure, confinement, and redefinition. We are our ancestors’ continued presence. Our very existence in body, culture, complex identity and resilience is proof of our continued resistance. We believe in our community’s right and ability to heal! We seek to support personal healing and to bring individuals together in community. Oppressive systems create a sense of isolation and disconnection. Many of us feel very alone. Our collective healing happens through connection and in relationship.
COLLECTIVE LIBERATION
In order for each of us to thrive, we need to build a society free from unjust and traumatizing conditions produced by government policies. Working towards personal mental health and wellness is a necessary component to dismantling systems of oppression. Healing is a political act and is deeply intertwined with political action. We commit to strengthening the migrant rights movement by focusing on serving immigrant rights leaders, organizers, and activists.
SELF-DETERMINATION
We recognize that systemic oppression limits our autonomy. We respect the decisions each individual makes to survive and overcome. We respect each individual’s right to make choices in their care. We believe every individual gets to decide their identity and that the language we use for our identities matters. As such, we welcome conversations about identity and are committed to respecting each person’s right to self-identification without imposing labels or terms.
TRANSFORMING MENTAL HEALTH CARE
We recognize that the healthcare system has historically inflicted harm on our Latinx communities by reinforcing racism, sexism, classism, ableism, homophobia, and transphobia. We follow a holistic approach to wellness that both supports personal transformation and brings individuals closer together in community.
We recognize the challenges faced in asking for and receiving help. We commit to making our best effort to connect Latinx individuals living in fear of detention and deportation to appropriate, accessible, and affordable mental health services. We will be timely in responding to requests for services. We will do our best to provide appropriate referrals for people of different income levels, language backgrounds, and geographic locations.
We commit to upholding the highest professional standards of competency, efficacy, and ethical practice in our respective fields, for the benefit of our Latinx communities. We commit to developing best practices and sharing them.
We commit to staying accountable to the communities we serve. We will actively seek feedback about services, offer a transparent grievance process and incorporate all feedback into future practice decisions.
We will provide and participate in professional development opportunities and peer case consultations, so that we may work towards best meeting our community’s mental health needs.
