ALAS (Ayudando Latinos a Soñar) is opening a new clinic in Salinas to expand mental health care for Latino families and farmworkers, with an approach that puts culture, community and practical support at the center.
The 2,900-square-foot space at 947 Blanco Circle, Suite B, includes four offices, a conference area and a room intended for child and parent psychotherapy.
Dr. Belinda Hernández-Arriaga, founder and CEO, says the organization says its Salinas team, consisting of four people, will start small and grow in response to community needs, drawing on local staff and ALAS’ greater mental health and social services team at the main office in Half Moon Bay.
The expansion follows conversations with local agencies and findings from a Monterey County community health needs assessment that identified mental health and substance use care as major needs. The Salinas clinic also grew from partnerships with organizations already serving the region, including the Monterey County Office of Education’s Migrant Education Program and Salinas Valley Health.
Dr. David Martinez, ALAS director of mental health and associate professor at University of San Francisco, says the Salinas Valley has a gap in prevention and mild-to-moderate therapy, while more severe cases can be referred to county services.
“We want to hear what the community thinks they need as well,” he says. The organization aims to build trust and design services with local residents, rather than assume what will work for them. A Salinas native, Dr. Martinez, who lives in the community, said existing relationships in the area, including connections through migrant education, helped make the expansion possible. Seed funding from Kaiser Permanente helped ALAS begin the work.
ALAS’ model combines counseling with what it describes as “accompaniment” or “cariño”: connecting people with resources for needs such as food and housing while supporting their mental health. Its culturally centered programs include art and music activities, including accordion and guitar, as well as community-based practices such as making candles from locally grown herbs.
The organization also operates the Health Equity Express, a mobile behavioral health program and resource center serving farmworkers. The bus includes space for therapy and telehealth, alongside classes and referrals to community resources. ALAS has received funding from Gilead Foundation, Life Science Cares Foundation, and the Westly Foundation that may help it acquire a second bus for Salinas.
In a recent outreach survey in Monterey County, Dr. Martinez says, more than 84 percent of people said they want mental health services. He further indicated that, nationally, about half of Spanish-speaking clients leave therapy after only one session, while more than 70 percent of ALAS clients remain in care for at least 12 sessions.
ALAS plans an open house for the community at the Salinas clinic on Wednesday from 3pm-6pm, following an 11am ribbon-cutting.
Dr. Hernández-Arriaga, says ALAS’s longer-term goals include expanding farmworker wellness, partnering with local universities including Hartnell College and California State University, Monterey Bay to train clinicians and building a lasting community resource. “We want this to outlive us,” Dr. Martinez adds.