Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

Morris, Teresa. Pd.D

Abstract

The focus of this research project was to understand and identify the challenges Hispanic adults face when accessing their mental health services to better understand this concerning issue and help support social workers in bridging that gap in the Hispanic community. The study took place at a mental health clinic in Southern California through virtual interviews for those who chose to participate. This agency provides mental health therapy to individuals 0-21 years of age, but for the purpose of this study, only adults aged 18-21 qualified to participate. The study consisted of twelve voluntary participants from both Hispanic adult clients ages 18-21 who receive mental health services and Hispanic and Non-Hispanic mental healthcare professionals who provide services at a Mental Health Clinic in Southern California. Six of those participants were previous clients, and six were mental health providers. Together they identified four major barriers Hispanic adults face when accessing mental health services. The researcher utilized a post-positivist approach to analyze the data and

identify codes and themes which allowed the researcher to make inferences and

conclusions about what the codes and themes meant. This research project found four barriers which were categorized as economic factors, sociocultural factors, stigmatization, and geographical factors. The results of this study helped inform mental health professionals of important identifying information regarding service access which was beneficial in making feasible treatment recommendations. On a macro level, the findings of this study had the potential of changing the way treatment recommendations are made, to encourage cultural competency of more agencies, and even allow more individuals to access their mental health services.

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