Building self-confidence for New York City’s Latina teens experiencing mental health challenges

Image of community girls from Comunilife program — Each afternoon, teens take part in activities that help alleviate the risk factors associated with Latina adolescent suicide including academic support, expressive arts therapies, health and wellness activities, and family services. In the fiscal year 2022, 181 Latina teens and their families accessed services.

Comunilife serves New York City’s Hispanic community through its housing, health, and human services programs. One of these programs, the Life is Precious (LIP) Latina Girls Club & Suicide Prevention program, helps Latina teens at risk of suicide, which is the second leading cause of death for Latina teens. The program assists teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18 who are experiencing depression, or another form of diagnosed mental illness, through a combination of individual and group counseling, creative arts therapy, academic support, music, nutrition & wellness activities, and family services. The LIP program provides services at four centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Washington Heights.

A grant from the Maximus Foundation helped support several health and wellness activities for the LIP program, including yoga classes and a weekly nutritious meal, for which the teens shop, prepare, and share. More than 175 teens participated in the Friday Dinners Program, and they also had the opportunity to visit an organic farm and complete an obstacle and ropes course.

Additionally, Awilda Martinez, Vice President, Health and Human Services Operations at Maximus, serves on the Board of Directors at Comunilife. Also, a past Maximus Foundation Board member, Ms. Martinez is passionate about her commitment to the New York City community and has long worked with Comunilife to provide support to Latina teens.

Ms. Martinez shared how important Comunilife has been to the Hispanic community. “Dr. Rosa Gill, CEO and Founder of Comunilife is the exemplar of a community leader, working tirelessly to provide temporary supportive housing for individuals with COVID. Nonprofits are facing more challenges than ever, serving on the front lines of this global health pandemic and I am proud to support organizations that are responding directly to the pandemic. Additionally, the Life is Precious program is a highly acclaimed teen prevention program that continues to make an incredible difference in the lives of each and every participant.”

Learn more about the Life is Precious program for Latina teens.