Spanish speakers in Nebraska, as well as public service professionals in Lincoln, have a new mental health resource available through a partnership of community organizations hosting WRAP support groups.

WRAP stands for Wellness Recovery and Action plan. It’s a program developed to help support people through mental health challenges and everyday life. In partnership with other organizations, Esperanza Family Services is facilitating Zoom WRAP sessions completely in Spanish to address a gap in mental health access for the state’s Latino populations.

Volunteer facilitator Maria Elena Villasante said she wants to decrease language barriers to quality services.

“There are difficult times, but I want people to know that they’re not alone, that there are some spaces where they can grow, maintain their mental health, and they are listened to,” she said. “And find their voice and their power and their resiliency so they can keep going.”

The group is free and meets every Thursday over Zoom. It is available to anyone throughout the state.

“We have a shortage of mental health providers for any service, especially. And so when we talk about minorities and receiving mental health services. The need is there, but there’s no way to meet those needs,” she added.

Volunteer facilitator Vanesa Bachot with Esperanza Family Services said the group creates a safety net not often found, especially in rural areas.

“As an immigrant, you leave behind some family and so creating that family, and even in rural areas, you know, people isolated, they don’t have that many people that share common things,” she said. “You know, you still do need that community, someone to share something.”

Bachot added, especially in today’s political climate, they also provide emergency action plans, know-your-rights information and how to prepare for and react to crises.

The five key concepts of WRAP, said Villasante, are universal across language and culture. They are having a sense of hope, personal responsibility, education, self-advocacy and support.

Villasante, a trained psychologist, said WRAP is an evidence-based program that has been tested for decades to provide quality mental health care, especially to individuals in high need.

That’s why a second version of the support group is offered in English to Lincoln’s and Lancaster County’s public service professionals.

“We all face stressors, and sometimes it’s easy to put others first,” she said. “And so also it’s important for us to remember that if we want to be at our best serving others, we need to put ourselves first, not because we’re selfish, but because we really care about our community, our loved ones, and so we want to be at our best.”

That group is offered in person every Thursday from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at the Good Neighbor Community Center in Lincoln.

The WRAP groups do not receive any funding, so all facilitators are trained volunteers. The facilitators of these new groups rotate among a number of community organizations, including Esperanza Family Services, the Asian Community & Cultural Center and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department.

Participants can join the groups anytime.

Meeting Details Spanish WRAP: Every Thursday 7-8 p.m., Zoom ID Meeting 910 9347 2825

Contact: contact@esperanzafamilyservices.org. 402-413-6344

Meeting Details English WRAP: Every Thursday 8:30-9:30 a.m., Good Neighbor Community Center, Lincoln.