The Atrévete Center of Excellence for Latinx/Hispanic Social Work Practice is designed to build a pipeline of Latinx students from high schools and community colleges to RIC's Accelerated BSW to MSW Social Work program, recruit and retain Latinx faculty, facilitate student-faculty research, and build community partnerships to provide experiential learning for social work students.
The Center of Excellence (COE) was created to fill the void of racial and cultural diversity in Rhode Island's behavioral healthcare workforce. As RI’s Latinx/Hispanic communities face unmet needs, our state urgently needs social workers to deliver appropriate, community-based care. Built on the foundation of “de la comunidad para la comunidad” (from the community, for the community), we aim to fundamentally transform social work education and clinical services – better serving and uplifting Latinx communities.
Are you a Latinx/Hispanic high school, community college, or new RIC student who's interested in social work? Social workers ensure that people have the support they need — whether that’s finding housing, getting access to mental health care, helping someone in crisis, or making sure children are safe. If this work appeals to you we provide scholarships, language support, and a caring community as you pursue our BSW to MSW social work program.
Are you a Latinx/Hispanic practicing social worker or professor of social work? Help us create a decolonized, interdisciplinary, and inclusive curriculum for Latinx/Hispanic social work students. Let's teach fundamental social work principles and the sociocultural dynamics influencing mental health within Latinx communities. Let's prepare students to be empathetic practitioners who understand health disparities and are equipped to address them effectively.
Let's collaborate on training opportunities, joint ventures in community service, and providing pathways to higher education for your community members. Our students and faculty can benefit from real-world connections and experiences in your spaces - ensuring that our methods are relevant and effective. Your students and community members will be introduced to our work and to social work as a career path.
Principal Investigator: Jayashree Nimmagadda, PhD, MSW, LICSW; Co-Director of the Center: Joise Garzon, PhD, MSW, LICSW; Co-Director of the Center: Estrellita Moronta; Faculty Development Coordinator: Aswood Bousseau, DSW, MSW, LICSW; Program Coordinator: Kelly Esmeralda Ramos, MSW; Evaluator: Dr. Daniel Weisman, PhD, MSW; Evaluator: Amanda Monaghan, MSW, LICSW
“This is an innovative, cutting-edge approach to teaching clinical skills to social work students.”
The Atrévete Center of Excellence for Latinx/Hispanic Social Work Practice plans to add up to 55 bilingual providers across Rhode Island by 2027.
This project is supported by the Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) in Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
