Friday, July 18, 2014

Minority Mental Health Awareness

In 2008 the month of July was proclaimed National Bebe Moore Campbell Minority Mental Health Awareness Month by the House of Representatives of the Congress of United States.  Mental illness affects one in four adults and one in ten children in America. The U.S. Surgeon General reports that minorities are less likely to receive diagnosis and treatment for their mental illness, have less access to and availability of mental health services and often receive a poorer quality of mental health care. The Office of the Census U.S. estimates that minorities will be the majority in the United States by the year 2042.


Because Latinos and other minorities are also affected by mental disorders and often they lack the information and resources available they need all the information, help, treatment and support available - we want to invite everyone to celebrate and to learn more about minority mental health and how people with these illnesses are leading successful lives.

Recovery of mental illness is not only possible but it is real.  We have to continue to break the stigma associated with mental illnesses and take advantage of all the advances in the field including new clinical therapies and pharmacological treatments.

Since 1999 Clinic for Education, Treatment, and Prevention or Addictions (CETPA) has been providing awareness, treatment and recovery about mental illness through community talks, health fairs, educational workshops and direct treatment services in English and in Spanish.

I invite you to promote mental health treatment in diverse communities and learn more on how to take care of their personal mental, emotional and behavioral well-being by visiting www.mentalhealth.gov

New Adult Clinical Director

On June 16th CETPA welcomed our new Adult Clinical Director, Peter Crespo, LPC. Peter joined us from Corpus Cristi, Texas, where he served as a Social Service Director for a Senior Care facility.  Peter brings with him 27 years of community mental health experience and a palpable passion working with under-served populations. His supervision, clinical, and risk assessment experience is an asset to the CETPA team.  Peter has fully transitioned into his Clinical Director position.  He will continue to grow the Adult Substance Abuse program, develop the group therapy program, and spread the word about our Adult Services to the greater Atlanta, Latino community.

New CETPA Family Members

Please join me in welcoming Bibiana Carvalho, and Tatiana Otalora  and Katerine Velez as our newest Mental Health Counselors in the Adult Treatment Program. Our clients will  greatly benefit from their many years of experience in the behavioral health field.

Bibiana Carvalho has a master's in Clinical Counseling Psychology. She is trying to obtain her license as an LPC. Her internship training came from Grady and Emory Hospitals located in Atlanta Georgia.

Tatiana Otalora has a master's in Social Work and is licensed as LMSW, and plans to obtain her LCSW. Her internship training was in New York City.

Katerine Velez has a B.A. in Psychology and is our substance abuse counselor. Katerine is a Certified Addiction Drug Counselor II.  We are very fortune to have her in our Adult Treatment team.   Katerine will be expanding our Substance Abuse groups and community outreach.

They are all fluent in Spanish, and Bibiana is also fluent in Portuguese.

Loan Repayment Program

CETPA, Inc. is pleased to announce that we are an official National Health Service Corps loan repayment site. This month we received notice that our licensed healthcare providers are eligible to receive loan repayment assistance!

The NHSC Loan Repayment program provides loan repayment assistance to licensed primary care medical, dental, and mental and behavioral health providers who serve in communities with limited access to health care. There are both full-time and half-time options for service commitment. CETPA awardees can receive up to $30,000 in exchange for two-years of service if they practice. There were a total of 4,505 awards made (2,106 new and 2,399 continuations) totaling $169.7 million for the 2013-2014 award cycle.

CETPA staff will be supported as they prepare their applications for the 2014-2015 award cycle, which is set to open January 2015!

Pierluigi Mancini, Ph.D.
Executive Director




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