Hispanic Heritage Month Visibility Campaign: Melissa Mendez

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September 15-October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month, an opportunity for us to continue our Visibility Campaign series and revisit our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This month we will increase visibility of our Hispanic staff. Today's spotlight goes to Melissa Mendez, LCSW, IMH-E.

Melissa has been with Wheeler for 15 years and currently is the director of early childhood programs and part-time instructor of clinical practice with children and families in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at Southern Connecticut State University.  

Melissa is Mexican-American and deeply connected to her ethnic and cultural roots through music, language, food, and Mexican literature. Her passion is working with and on behalf of young children. She is a longtime supporter, donor, and volunteer for Nuestro Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), an organization that provides care and education for vulnerable children throughout Mexico and other Latin American countries. Melissa enjoys traveling to the NPH sites in Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico to support programming for children with training and consultation. In her spare time, Melissa is running the Chicago Marathon on October 10th as a member of the NPH charity team. 

What steps should organizations such as Wheeler take to serve the Hispanic/Latino communities better? 
Integrate more education about the disparities that Hispanic communities face in service delivery so that staff know to be mindful of relevant issues and better advocate for the Hispanic community. 

What are the most significant challenges that Hispanic and Latino communities are facing today? Ongoing discrimination and limited access to equitable opportunities to thrive and be healthy. 

What are some useful training resources or books you feel would be helpful? The National Research Center for Hispanic Children and Families is a great resource for those of us working with children and families in the field.  

Thank you, Melissa, for sharing today! 

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