Book Description

Within the California K-12 education setting, Latino students make up 53% of the child population, totaling over 3.3. million students (California Department of Education, 2016). Many of these Latino immigrant youth face challenges, including living in poverty, exposure to violence, and acculturation stress, all of which lead to a need for mental health services. However, the literature has shown that 76.9% of Latino immigrant youth who have a mental health need received no services (Toppelberg, Hollinshead, Collins, & Nieto-Castañon, 2013). The K-12 public school setting is responsible for providing the majority of mental health services to Latino immigrant students who do gain access to services (Langley, DeCarlo Santiago, Rodríguez, & Zelaya, 2013). Latino immigrant youth accessing needed mental health services in the school setting in turn highlights the vital role of mental health providers who offer these services to students in K-12 public schools. Utilizing a qualitative multiple case study design, the researcher collected data using a basic demographic questionnaire and indepth interviews with 6 school-based mental health professionals in 5 different Southern California K-12 public school districts. Guided by the theory of cultural competence, the researcher gathered data about personal experiences, training and professional development, and personal needs when working to support Latino immigrant youth in participants’ schools. The current study revealed four major findings. First, mental health professionals stressed the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders—including school staff, community agencies, and students’ families—as a key component of providing necessary and effective services to Latino immigrant youth. Second, mental health professionals identified two-way language barriers with Latino immigrant youth and their families as a major struggle. Third, cultural competency and empathy toward the unique cultural identity of Latino immigrant youth and their families was identified as a significant tool when supporting the mental health of Latino immigrant youth. Fourth, mental health professionals asserted that in their role as therapists of Latino immigrant youth, they require additional training and professional development that incorporates education about cultural assimilation and migration.