Social work scholarship winners to serve mental health needs of Latino immigrants

Three graduate students who are seeking degrees in social work in Texas have been awarded scholarships to pursue their research of mental health, North Texas e-News reports. Alma Ramirez, Marya Vargas and Lizette Flores will have their college tuition covered in exchange for providing Spanish-language psychiatric services in local communities.

By expanding the language skills of its social workers, Texas aims to serve more of its immigrant population. Master’s of social work (MSW) degree candidates may consider tailoring their course loads to include language classes that are relevant to the populations that they intend to serve.

Speaking to the news outlet, foundation director Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr. noted that “Texas has a shortage of mental health workers, especially those who speak languages other than English. These scholarships are producing a new generation of social workers who have the education, training, cultural awareness and language skills needed to help fill that gap.”

Studying the prevalence of mental illness in immigrant Latinos and U.S.-born Latino citizens is an emerging field. According to a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, mental illness is more common for U.S.-born Latino subjects than Latino immigrants. Rates can vary based on nativity. Puerto Ricans, for example, report higher rates of psychiatric disorders than their other Hispanic counterparts.

POSTED BY: ec_admin - January 13th, 2011 at 03:27pm ( 0 )