<p> The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of mentoring and role models on emotional distress experienced by Latino adolescents from families headed by single mothers. Additionally, this study explored the influence of ethnicity, gender, marital status and poverty level on the Latino adolescents' emotional distress related to the use of role models and mentors. The findings indicate that female adolescents are more likely than male Latino adolescents to express having emotional distress and needing psychological services to their respective mentors. Interestingly, male adolescents were found to prefer male role model by a significantly statistical difference over having a female role model. Similarly, female adolescents were found to prefer female role models. Lastly, this study found that poverty level significantly impacted whether Latino adolescents were connected to a role model. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant proposal to develop and fund a Life Skills Program to educate Latino students regarding the college application process and professional careers to pursue a higher education. An extensive literature review was conducted to understand the needs of Latino students and interventions that can effectively assist them to improve their higher education enrollment. The S. Mark Taper Foundation was selected as the funder for this program.</p><p> The proposed program would be offered through Santa Fe High School, located in the city of Santa Fe Springs, California. If funded, the program will provide Latino students with the skills and information necessary to pursue a higher education, to be competitive in the workforce and have a prosperous life. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.</p>

<p> Grandparents as parents are a fast growing population, as the need for custodial grandparents increases so does the need for culturally competent interventions that address their needs and that of their grandchildren. This psycho-educational curriculum focuses on Latino grandparent caregivers; it encompasses the stressors commonly faced by custodial grandparents while addressing the cultural values and beliefs of this population. The cultural values addressed in this curriculum include: <i>Respeto, Personalismo,</i> and <i> Familismo,</i> the curriculum is built upon these values, and they are carried throughout each session. </p><p> The foundation for this thesis curriculum includes cultural values, as well as knowledge of loss and grief theory and elements of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Themes that will be addressed in this curriculum include: loss, grief, mental health through psycho-education, coping skills, behavioral and emotional challenges in children and obtaining available community resources.</p>

<p> The purpose of this thesis was to develop a grant proposal to fund a program at MOMS Orange County that aims to increase maternal fetal bonding during pregnancy among Latina women. A literature review was done in order to examine factors that may hinder the maternal fetal bonding during pregnancy among Latinas. The factors identified were considered in the development of the proposed program. The program would offer pregnant women living in Orange County the opportunity to learn about maternal-fetal bonding, attachment, depression, social support, and techniques for bonding with their fetus. The overall goal of the program is to educate women about factors that serve as barriers to their ability to bond with their fetus along with techniques for increasing their attachment to their fetus. Implications for social work practice and policy are discussed. Submission and/or funding of this grant were not required for the successful completion of thesis project.</p>

<p> Although the Latino population is growing in high numbers in the United States, not enough effort is being made to accommodate the cultural needs of Latinos as it relates to mental health services. Latinos&rsquo; underutilization of mental health services is of concern, as not receiving the help they need results in Latinos not having the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. The purpose of this project was to write a grant and identify a funding source to implement a culturally sensitive mental health program to help Latinos suffering with depression, provide them with available resources, and increase their mental health literacy. Taking care of the mental health needs of Latinos can improve their quality of life and will benefit society as a whole. For this project, a prospective funder was identified, even though actual funding and submission of this grant proposal are not required for the completion of this project.</p><p>

<p> The aim of the study was to examine discrimination in healthcare and psychological distress among non-immigrant and immigrant Latinos. The current study is quantitative study that utilized secondary data that was retrieved from the 2015 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). The total sample included 5,165 Latino adults, including 2,226 (43.1%) males and 2,939 (56.9%) females. The results revealed associations between gender and poverty level on psychological distress. There were associations found on needing help from someone to understand the doctor, unfair treatment when getting medical care, and English proficiency on psychological distress. There was no significant association between citizenship status and psychological distress. Research on Latinos and discrimination continues to be limited, thus more research could help to create programming for consumers and trainings for staff to reduce health disparities for Latinos.</p><p>

<p> Since age has been identified as a leading risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) and as the U.S. population ages, ADRD has become a community concern. Latinos face greater risk due to systemic psychosocial stressors such as limited community-based supportive services, lack of trained bilingual health care professionals, and low quality of treatment and preventative care. The purpose of this project was to develop a dementia program targeting the underserved Latino community of Orange County, California, identify potential funding sources, and develop a grant proposal on behalf of the Orange County Vital Brain Aging Program at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. The proposed program will increase awareness on ADRD while decreasing barriers in health care utilization through community-based education and psychosocial and cognitive assessments. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant were not requirements for the successful completion of this project.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant to fund the program, Keeping Families Together, which will provide workshops for undocumented Latino parents who are at risk of becoming involved with the child welfare system because of their legal status in the United States. The overarching goal of the program is to decrease the number of Latino children entering the child welfare system by educating undocumented Latino parents on cultural norms concerning child abuse and prevention, community resources, and how to formulate a safety plan for their children in case they are detained or deported. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant by the California Community Foundation was not required to successfully complete this project. </p>