The growing need for bilingual health care

Hear from Rogers’ staff in the video above about the strides Rogers is taking to understand and support the unique mental health needs of the Latino community. To see more videos about the Miami clinic, visit rogersbh.org/miami-fl.

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Spanish is recognized as the second most commonly spoken language in the U.S. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people of Hispanic origin are the nation’s largest ethnic population, with South Florida and specifically Miami-Dade County being one of the top ten regions with the largest populations of Hispanic residents.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) says that as a community, Hispanics are less likely to seek treatment due to language barriers, lack of information, and misunderstanding about mental health. Yet, without treatment, certain mental health conditions can worsen and even become disabling or fatal.

Recognizing these challenges as well as the diverse mental health care needs of the South Florida population, Rogers recently opened a completely bilingual clinic in Miami. Rogers has a second Florida location in Tampa.

How Rogers is meeting the need of a diverse population

“Coming myself from Brazil, I’m excited about the opportunity to offer specialized treatment to a multi-cultural population,” says Marcia Rabinowits, PsyD, clinical director. “Our goal is to reach out to the Latin community and inform them of our multi-cultural team. We understand their values and the importance of family. By involving families, we are respecting these cultural values, building trust, and reducing stigma.”

Rogers is committed to not only offering bilingual English-Spanish treatment, but also to ensuring that staff members understand the variety of cultures represented and can effectively communicate with and support the population of patients, families, and caregivers.

“It’s not enough to just provide bilingual providers anymore,” explains Dr. Rabinowits. “Our staff understand the challenges of not only treating our diverse patients, but also equipping their families and loved ones with an understanding of behavioral disorders and offering the support they might not receive from their own communities.”

Rogers in Miami offers spe­cialized outpatient care for adults, adolescents and children, helping them rise above depression and other mood disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety.  Rogers also offers a unique program to treat anxiety, mood, and OCD and related disorders among youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For a free, confidential screening, call 305-929-0600 for the Miami clinic or 800-767-4411, or make the request online.