Pilsen man tries to break stigma surrounding mental health for Latinos
CHICAGO (CBS) -- One of the biggest challenges when it comes to addressing mental health is breaking stigmas, and just talking about it.
As CBS 2's Andrew Ramos told us, one Pilsen man is trying to change that, one conversation at a time.
"My parents went through a lot," said Dr. Ricardo Camacho, a licensed psychologist. "They experienced a lot, but for them, it wasn't really normalized for them to talk about their struggles."
For Camacho, the son of two Mexican immigrants, conversations about mental health struggles did not happen at the dinner table, or ever.
It's a common trend prevalent in Latino households. It was later as an adult when he understood the power of therapy when he became a licensed psychologist.
Now, he's working and living in Pilsen, where he grew up. He is trying to break that generational cycle on how mental health is addressed in the Latino community.
"What we want to do is to flip the script and say like 'Hey, we can normalize mental health by really learning how to talk about mental health," Camacho said.
Camacho is the founder of Salud, a community-based organization working with small businesses in the neighborhoods like Pilsen and Little Village to provide safe spaces for members of the community to connect and hold conversations about mental health.
The vegan, plant-based restaurant Bellies is among the first partnering with Salud by providing a meeting space.
"I think mental health is often looked at as an individual thing, but I think bringing it to a community is huge," said Alexandra Curatolo of Bellies.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, just 35% of Hispanic/Latino adults with mental health issues receive treatment compared to 46% of the national average.
Salud is hoping to bridge that gap.
"I think it's really important to shift that focus where you need to take care of yourself holistically, especially in the Latino community," said Daniel Flores, a volunteer with Salud. "Where so much trauma gets past down generationally."
Providing the outlet, Camacho said, is just the first step of what could open several doors and break down even more walls.
"If you invest in people and you invest in community, you're going to see that impact," Camacho said.
Salud's mental health conversation in Pilsen happens on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m., the first of many events the group hopes to host in the community.
For more information on Salud, visit saludchicago.com.
