Recuperacíon - Bringing Recovery to the Spanish Community

September marks the annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Since July, we have been laying the groundwork to expand our reach throughout the Spanish-speaking community with bilingual programming.

With the expansion of our Tuesday hours (now 11 AM-7 PM), we found ourselves with the capacity to add another Recovery Circle; when considering what community may need additional support, our bilingual peer support specialist, Kristina Garcia, led the charge in advocating for her own.

“In Latino culture, a lot of things are not talked about because they are kept within the family – it’s about loyalty,” Kristina explains. “But, sometimes that becomes too much. Women, mothers specifically, carry a lot of hardship in the family structure.”

“If someone is using (child, spouse, themselves) that stress falls on the mother,” she shares. Beyond that, there is a lack of awareness around recovery within Latino culture, and outside of Recovery Café, there are limited resources available to Longmont’s Spanish-speaking community. Seeing this gap in support, Kristina, the peer support team, and our leadership decided to address it head-on.

Highlighting the difficulties of going against cultural norms, Kristina shares, “It is so engrained not to open up.” Even in a safe space like Recovery Café, individuals can struggle to feel comfortable sharing – but that is where Kristina’s lived experience creates a unique opportunity.

“I feel like being able to share my own story gives me the ability to get other people to do the same and it’s mutually healing,” she shared.

With 23% of Longmont’s population identifying as being of Hispanic/Latino descent (U.S. Census Bureau), there is a need for social support structures that serve these communities in a culturally sensitive manner.

Bringing resources, creating connections, and starting conversations about recovery are just a few ways Kristina advocates for her community, calling it “an honor” to represent Latinos in recovery and break through cultural barriers around the subject.

Kristina is supported by José Matos, Recovery Café Longmont’s new circle facilitator. José has volunteered inthe Café for more than a year and the team recognized his potential to teach and lead.

This led to making him a permanent member of our team and Kristina has seen him flourish throughout their training: “José’s compassion and grace, his gentle approach and ability to be present in the moment, all make him a great listener, and his experience as a professor in Venezuela makes him a great facilitator,” she says.