Find Culturally-Tuned Mental Health Services for Spanish Speakers
TL/DR –
Mexican entrepreneur Luis Suarez created a mental health service, Sanarai, which specifically targets Spanish-speaking clients who struggle with systemic and institutional barriers in accessing mental health care. The majority of Latino/x adults in the U.S. with mental health problems do not receive care due to language barriers, lack of health insurance, and stigma about mental health in their community. Sanarai connects the Latino/x community with mental health professionals in Latin America and the U.S. for affordable, culturally sensitive, Spanish-language support and counseling.
Lack of Mental Health Services for Spanish-Speaking Community
Systemic and institutional obstacles prevent many Spanish-speaking individuals from obtaining necessary mental health care. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that only 35% of Latino/x adults in the US with mental illness receive care, often due to language barriers, health insurance issues, cultural stigmas, low provider numbers, and other obstacles. These hurdles are further emphasized bylow provider numbers.
Luis Suarez’s Fight for Mental Health Accessibility
Mexican entrepreneur, Luis Suarez, experienced firsthand these challenges in accessing mental health support. After moving to the US and completing his MBA at Duke University, Suarez struggled to find a provider who could cater to his language and cultural needs. His personal struggle turned into a mission to fill the evident gaps in mental health care for the Spanish-speaking community in the US, where only 5% of providers speak Spanish compared to the 13% of the population that speaks Spanish at home.
Sanarai: A Mental Health Platform for the Latino/x Community
In his quest to provide solutions, Suarez founded Sanarai, a mental health service designed for Spanish-speaking clients. It connects the Latino/x community to mental health professionals in Latin America and the US, offering culturally sensitive, Spanish-language emotional support and counseling at affordable prices.
The Importance of Cultural Competency
Sanarai emphasizes the importance of cultural competency in mental health, recognizing that failure to understand a patient’s words within the necessary cultural context can lead to misconceptions and misdiagnoses. Suarez launched the company during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when mental health needs in Latino/x communities increased and racial and ethnic disparities in care access were further exposed.
Providing Affordable and Accessible Mental Health Services
With funding support from Google and the California Health Care Foundation’s Innovation Fund, Sanarai has established a network of over 50 mental health professionals serving more than 4,000 individual clients. The company aims to expand Spanish-language access to mental health services and eliminate the widespread issue of lengthy waitlists.
Sanarai’s Provider Network
Sanarai provides services delivered by two types of providers: Mexico and Argentina-based professionals credentialed by health officials in Mexico, and state-licensed clinicians in the US. Their platform offers a wide range of specialties, allowing patients to select their provider based on preference, and guarantees privacy and affordability for its patients.
Future Expansion Plans
Sanarai is currently focused on building a direct-to-consumer business, strengthening its provider network, and exploring collaborations with payers, health systems, and other providers. There are plans to expand the supply of mental health providers, potentially following the model of a pilot program that allowed Mexico-based clinicians to work in California. With such efforts, Suarez remains hopeful about transforming the relationship Latino/x people have with mental health.
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