Led by therapist and trainer Ana Paula Soares, the Escucha Tus Emociones // Listen to Your Emotions initiative has trained 60 bilingual Community Health Workers / Promotores de Salud to deliver mental health awareness and substance misuse prevention workshops in Milwaukee County. In 2024, 50 culturally affirming workshops were facilitated to 400 participants, primarily Latinx adults.
Escucha Tus Emociones began as a multimedia campaign created by Soares, Centro Hispano of Dane County, Sandra Dempsey of Source Ten, and other partners. In 2022, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute became a partner in this initiative. With the support of Milwaukee County’s Better Ways to Cope funding and CA-PPI’s administrative infrastructure, Soares worked to develop the workshops and train the Promotores de Salud. During the next year, the Promotores will be deepening their knowledge of substance misuse prevention (especially opioid misuse prevention), culturally affirming wellness practices, and providing peer support for each other and community members.
On December 7, a group of Promotores gathered to participate in a healing circle that drew on traditional practices that have been handed down through the generations, as well as the very modern practice of creating personal vision boards for the year ahead. The Promotores shared their reflections on how their involvement in the Escucha Tus Emociones initiative has impacted them and the people in their lives. One woman explained that she is more likely to actively listen to others instead of reacting, while another said the lessons she’s learned from Escucha Tus Emociones have helped her to cope with the recent losses and transitions in her life in a healthy way, allowing her to embrace challenges and appreciate her life’s journey.
Learn More about Escucha Tus Emociones: https://ppi.communityadvocates.net/prevention/escucha-tus-emociones.html
