Author ORCID Identifier
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2025
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Beth Boyd
Abstract
Despite experiencing similar rates of mental health disorders, Hispanic/Latinx individuals are less likely than other ethnic/racial groups to access mental health services. There is a growing need for culturally responsive mental health services that address the unique barriers to access and unmet needs faced by Hispanic/Latinx communities. Community mental health organizations are critical to providing care to underserved populations who experience a wide range of resource-related barriers. The representation of bilingual and bicultural Hispanic/Latinx providers within these settings has become invaluable to addressing unique barriers not historically addressed by community mental health organizations. The present study utilized a phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of Hispanic/Latinx clinicians who provided services in community mental health settings. Nine providers were interviewed, and five overarching themes were identified. The themes reflected a variety of unique challenges participants faced while working in a community mental health setting and tied into factors that contributed to their retention while working to meet the unmet needs of their organizations' Hispanic/Latinx client population. Findings from this study may play an important role in understanding how organizations can adequately value, support, and retain the increasingly needed representation of their Hispanic/Latinx providers.
Subject Categories
Clinical Psychology | Psychology
Keywords
Community Mental Health Culturally Responsive Care Hispanic and Latinx Provider Retention Resilience
Number of Pages
108
Publisher
University of South Dakota
Recommended Citation
Zare, Sara, "A Phenomenological Study of Hispanic and Latinx Community Mental Health Care Providers" (2025). Dissertations and Theses. 377.
https://red.library.usd.edu/diss-thesis/377