NNews-Aug-2025

August 2025 23 Rutgers LISTA Certificate Program Increases Access and Quality of Care for the Latinx Community I n all types of health care, cultural congruence is equally important as clinical expertise. This is even more critical for populations impacted by access barriers to mental health services. At Rutgers University School of Social Work, a proactive effort to overcome these challenges and meet the unique needs of a particular population is the Latina/o/x Initiatives for Service, Training, and Assessment (LISTA) Certificate Program. This program is helping increase the number of Latinx service providers and build an understanding of the culture among non-Latinx individuals serving this community. “This program is doing excellent work to boost the Latinx behavioral healthcare workforce and as a result, increase access to treatment continued on page 24 for Latinx individuals,” said Elsa Candelario, DSW, MSSW, LCSW, Professor of Professional Practice and Director of the LISTA Certificate Program. “This isn’t just about language, though learning Spanish behavioral health terminology is part of it. It’s also about adapting assessment tools and treatment approaches to fit cultural contexts.” “We also emphasize the importance of social justice. Our students learn to recognize and address systems of oppression and to educate clients about them, aligning their practice with the social work code of ethics. This approach helps shift the focus from individual problems to community and cultural strengths, reducing the stigma often associated with mental health issues,” Dr. Candelario said. ElsaCandelario, DSW,MSSW, LCSW Professor of Professional Practice andDirector of the LISTA Certificate Program