Walking Alongside Latino Communities: A Faithful Response to Stress and Mental Health
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
12:00–1:00 p.m. Central (10:00–11:00 a.m. Arizona / Pacific)
Online via Zoom
Free Registration:
Faith leaders across our synod are invited to a free, one-hour webinar designed to equip congregational leaders to better support Latino communities navigating stress, discrimination, immigration pressures, and behavioral health challenges.
Hosted by the Center of Addiction & Faith, “Walking With the Latino Communities: Faith, Stress, and Behavioral Health in a Time of Change” will be led by Dr. Ana L. Chavez-Mancillas (DSW, MSW), Senior Director for the National Latino Behavioral Health Association.
Why This Matters Now
Across Arizona, southern Nevada, St. George, and the Navajo Nation, many of our congregations serve Latino families directly or live in close proximity to communities experiencing heightened stress due to immigration policies, discrimination, and economic strain.
These pressures often intersect with substance use and other mental health concerns—realities that pastors and lay leaders increasingly encounter in pastoral care, preaching, and community ministry.
As Lutherans, we proclaim a theology that takes suffering seriously. We do not spiritualize pain away. We trust that God meets us in our embodied, lived reality. This webinar will help leaders recognize behavioral health challenges without stigma and respond in ways that are culturally responsive and faith-informed.
What Participants Will Gain
In this 60-minute workshop, participants will:
Recognize the unique behavioral health stressors facing Latino/a communities today
Understand how immigration stress, discrimination, and economic pressure intersect with substance use and mental health
Learn culturally responsive, faith-grounded strategies to reduce stigma and foster trust
Gain practical tools to support vulnerable congregants and connect them to appropriate care
Avoid common misunderstandings, including unintentionally spiritualizing mental health struggles
The format includes brief teaching and guided discussion, offering both insight and immediately usable strategies.
About the Presenter
Dr. Ana L. Chavez-Mancillas brings deep professional and lived experience to this conversation. She serves as Senior Director for the National Latino Behavioral Health Association and holds a doctorate from the University of Southern California.
Originally from Guatemala, she came to the United States in 1985 without speaking English and has dedicated her career to behavioral health leadership, substance abuse counseling, and mental health advocacy. With more than 24 years in recovery herself, Dr. Chavez-Mancillas speaks with both clinical expertise and personal understanding of how substance use and mental health challenges often go hand in hand.
Her leadership includes supervisory experience, advanced certifications in substance abuse counseling, and fellowship training through the National Hispanic and Latino Executive Leadership Program.
A Faithful Invitation
In this season when many families carry invisible burdens, the church is called not only to proclaim hope but to embody it.
This webinar offers practical, grounded tools to help us walk alongside Latino congregants with wisdom, humility, and compassion.
We encourage rostered ministers, deacons, parish nurses, lay leaders, and anyone engaged in pastoral care to register and participate.
Register today:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/2F0WDP9_RtyLTnR4pW8hbA?mc_cid=33de2f2905&mc_eid=900fec6975#/registration