500+ North Carolina Congress of Latino Organization Leaders win commitments on mental health, U-visas, and neighborhood health clinic in Forsyth County, NC

Urged by the alarming results of listening sessions with nearly 800 people, the Forsyth County Chapter of the North Carolina Congress of Latino Organizations (NCCLO) took bold action and held accountable the Board of County Commissioners, the Mayor of Winston Sa

Commitments earned during the action included:

• Extend the U-Visa application window from 2 to 7 years
• Mayor Joines accepted, on behalf of the City of Winston Salem, help from area colleges who will deploy immigration law student interns to help the Police Department process backlogged U-visa applications
• The CEO of United Health Centers (FQHC) will open a satellite health clinic in the Old Town area
• Partners Health Management will hire one bilingual mental health therapist
• Partners Health Management and NCDHHS will co-convene a meeting with area Medicaid insurance health providers to discuss providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health services to Latino families
• Funding, effective July 1, for "Strong Minds" mental health promoters program
• Funding, effective July 1, for “Nuestra Comunidad" mental health education program
• Funding, effective July 1, for Forsyth Technical Community College, El Futuro, Strong Minds, and Monarch to create bilingual programming and training for bilingual mental health professionals