Health and Mental Health needs of the Latino/Latinx community have historically been overlooked and this has continued to be true during the current COVID-19 pandemic. One of the responses to these inequities was the creation of the NYC Hispanic/Latinx Health Action Agenda.
Join our panel discussion at the Tenth Annual New York City Latino Health Action Day where we will discuss the NYC Hispanic/Latinx Health Action Agenda in depth. The assembled panelists will discuss the top priorities of this health policy initiative, how it was developed, and the recommendations provided for 2022-2025 in New York City.
- Betshy Morales-Reid, MA
- Lorena Kourousias, LMSW, MSPSY
- Guillermo Chacón
- Cristina Herrera
- Yesenia Mata, MBA
Bethsy is the Assistant Vice President for Programs at the Hispanic Federation. She helps develop and design of HF programs and impact strategy at the national level. She has a track record of developing healthy living programs and health advocacy strategies that engage communities and their leaders. Bethsy is a native New Yorker who received her BA in Political Science at Fordham University, and her MA in International Affairs at the New School University.
Bethsy es la Vicepresidenta Adjunta de Programas de la Federación Hispana. Bethsy ayuda a desarrollar y diseñar programas de FH y estrategias de impacto a nivel nacional. Ella tiene un historial de desarrollo de programas de vida saludable y estrategias de defensa de la salud que involucran a las comunidades y a sus líderes. Bethsy es nativa de Nueva York y se licenció en Ciencias Políticas en la Universidad de Fordham y obtuvo un máster en Asuntos Internacionales en la New School University.
Lorena Kourousias (she/her) is the Executive Director of Mixteca Organization, Inc. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Hunter College. As many immigrants, Lorena represents the struggle and perseverance that comes with the immigration process and the various barriers that professional immigrants must face in the United States. Regardless of her advanced education (she holds two Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology), Lorena had to overcome a long process of revalidating her credential from Mexico, learning a new language, assimilating a new culture, and overcoming the physiological trauma that comes with the immigration process of re-starting her professional career.
Lorena Kourousias es la Directora Ejecutiva de Mixteca Organization, Inc. Tiene un máster en Trabajo Social de Hunter College. Como muchos inmigrantes, Lorena representa la lucha y la perseverancia que conlleva el proceso de inmigración y las diversas barreras que los inmigrantes profesionales deben afrontar en Estados Unidos. Independientemente de su educación avanzada (tiene dos maestrías en Psicología Clínica), Lorena tuvo que superar un largo proceso de revalidación de su credencial de México, el aprendizaje de un nuevo idioma, la asimilación de una nueva cultura, y la superación del trauma fisiológico que conlleva el proceso de inmigración para reiniciar su carrera profesional.
Guillermo is the President of the Latino Commission on AIDS and founder of the Hispanic Health Network.
Cristina founded Translatina Network in 2007, in order to organize and empower the transgender immigrant community through leadership development and education. Cristina was formerly the Transgender Programs Coordinator at the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center), where she worked in various roles for eleven years. In her final role there prior to moving into a full-time staff leadership at TN, she oversaw the development of workforce development programming specifically designed to meet the needs of the TGNC community. A leader in the field of TGNC services, HIV prevention, advocacy and community organizing for 18 years, Cristina she has served on countless panels, committees and boards, and has been presented with awards and recognitions by NYC DOH, AIDS Institute, New York City Council, the Queens Borough President, and many organizations.
Cristina fundó Translatina Network en 2007, con el fin de organizar y empoderar a la comunidad de inmigrantes transgénero a través del desarrollo del liderazgo y la educación. Cristina fue anteriormente la Coordinadora de Programas Transgénero en el Centro Comunitario de Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales y Transgéneros (The Center), donde trabajó en varias funciones durante once años. En su última función allí antes de pasar a dirigir el personal a tiempo completo en TN, supervisó el desarrollo de programas de desarrollo de la fuerza de trabajo diseñados específicamente para satisfacer las necesidades de la comunidad TGNC. Líder en el campo de los servicios para la comunidad TGNC, la prevención del VIH, la defensa y la organización de la comunidad durante 18 años, Cristina ha participado en innumerables paneles, comités y juntas, y ha recibido premios y reconocimientos del Departamento de Salud de la ciudad de Nueva York, el Instituto del SIDA, el Consejo de la ciudad de Nueva York, el presidente del distrito de Queens y muchas organizaciones.
Yesenia Mata is an immigration and veteran activist. She is currently the Executive Director of La Colmena an Immigration/Day Labor Rights Organization, and serves in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Specialist. As the daughter of formerly undocumented immigrants, Yesenia has been advocating for immigration reform. She has written on The Hill, Huffington Post, and Univision. She was the former National Latino Outreach Strategist for Bernie Sander’s Presidential Campaign, where she organized the Latino communities in Chicago, Arizona, New York, Pennsylvania, California, and Florida. She also was the Political Director for the Dream Action Coalition, a national organization that advocates for immigration reform.
Yesenia Mata es una activista de la inmigración y de los veteranos. Actualmente es la directora ejecutiva de La Colmena, una organización por los derechos laborales de los inmigrantes, y sirve en el ejército de Estados Unidos como especialista de la policía militar. Como hija de previos inmigrantes indocumentados, Yesenia ha abogado por la reforma migratoria. Ha escrito en The Hill, Huffington Post y Univision. Fue la antigua estratega nacional de alcance latino para la campaña presidencial de Bernie Sanders, donde organizó las comunidades latinas en Chicago, Arizona, Nueva York, Pensilvania, California y Florida. También fue directora política de la Dream Action Coalition, una organización nacional que aboga por la reforma migratoria.
ABOUT THE NYC HEALTH AGENDA
The NYC Hispanic/Latinx Health Action Agenda is a result of a community-driven health policy process that brought together over 60 Community-Based Organizations/Agencies and 72 community leaders, faith-based leaders, experienced clinical and non-clinical service providers.
Facilitated by the Hispanic Health Network, Hispanic Federation, and the Latino Commission on AIDS, the process started in October 2020 with a series of consultations with key public health leaders, community providers, and members of health networks with expertise in the health field and Hispanic/Latinx communities.
The overarching goal of this health agenda is to improve health outcomes among Hispanic/Latinx New Yorkers living throughout all the boroughs while ensuring Hispanic/Latinx participation and inclusion and impacting health policy decision making in order to address health disparities and inequities in New York City. [download agenda]