Outreach and Enrollment of

Uninsured Hispanic populations

VENTANILLAS DE BIENESTAR

Christina Lopez-GutierrezSeptember 2013

Health Care Reform Community of Practice

A collaborative effort between the following partners:

• SAMHSA, Office of Behavioral Health Equity• National Network to Eliminate Disparities

• National Latino Behavioral Health Association• National Leadership Council of African American

Behavioral Health Association• National Asian American and Pacific Islander Mental

Health Association• National Council of Urban Indian Health

Community of Practice Purpose•To identify effective and outreach enrollment practices of uninsured Latino communities.•To provide free webinar training and one to one technical assistance to community partners on outreach and enrollment practices.•NLBHA’S initiative is called• “Ventanillas de Bienestar”[Windows of Wellbeing]

Latinos/Hispanic

Number of Latinos Uninsured: 16 million Behavioral Health Disparities

• High rates of depression• Access mental health services at disproportionately lower rates• More than half of the uninsured Hispanic Americans did not have a usual source of health care

Latino/Hispanics

Outreach and Enrollment Barriers and Challenges• Families who are Linguistically Isolated and have no English speakers to engage in accessing services or who are Limited English Proficient • Stigma, Fear and Discrimination experiences• Financial Barriers - Little or not enough income to pay for out of pocket expenses, co-pays, or prescription costs

Effective Outreach and Enrollment Practices

Ferias de Salud (Behavioral Health Fairs)

•Organize, participate or sponsor a community health fair that provides a safe, known and trusted venue when conducting outreach and enrollment activities.•The health fair provides a wide array of health and behavioral health information tables, health screenings, family friendly activities, prevention and treatment resource packets along with face to face contact. • Conducted by a consumer led organization called Albuquerque Center for Hope & Recovery.

Effective Outreach and Enrollment Practices

Promotores (Community Health Workers)

•Use promotores to provide face to face assistance with enrollment information (similar to peer navigators and peer support workers).•Their work is in the community and are well-known in the community, highly trusted, maintain confidentiality. •Speak Spanish and conduct extensive outreach and community grassroots work. [Campesinos sin Frontera – Arizona]

Effective Outreach and Enrollment Practices

Telenovela (Soap Opera)Spanish television and media outlets broadcast

outreach and enrollment efforts called “Encrucijada”.

This public-private approach uses a television medium to broadcast Latino families who portray Latino themes about behavioral health conditions

and family discussions about seeking help, information and community resources.

(Colorado Health Foundation)

Effective Outreach and Enrollment Practices

Faith Based Outreach•Mental health outreach is conducted by Peer Support workers at places of worship in the community.•Materials are made available on Sundays and depending on faith leaders personnel were available to meet congregants and members.•Clergy members are invited to conferences and workshops on mental health topics. Clergy members could avail themselves of resource information.

[New Jersey Mental Health Association of Addiction Agencies]

Ventanillas de Bienestar Webinars•NLBHA has sponsored six free webinars nationally in August and September 2013 on how to implement these effective practices. Four in English & two in Spanish. Six new webinars will be conducted in October 2013 on Latino youth and young adults.•Interested individuals, agencies, NAMI affiliates & state organizations can sign up as partners at no cost @ www.nlbha.org for webinar training.•NLBHA’s collaborators are the National Network to Eliminate Disparities and Urban Strategies.

In Collaboration with

URBAN STRATEGIES

NAMI/NLBHA Joint ACA Fact Sheet for Latino Families

•An easy to read Fact Sheet for Latinos families.•Basic information on buying health insurance.•Enrollment begins October 1, 2013•English and Spanish version.•Go to www.nami.org/healthcoverage•For broad distribution in your community.

Contact information

National Latino Behavioral Health Association

Sign up as a partner at no cost at www.nlbha.org

You can also email us at admin@nlbha.orgContact Fredrick Sandoval, MPA

NLBHA Operations Manager