Shout Out: Granite State Latinas Recognized for Public Health Efforts
Two New Hampshire professionals and members of the Latina community have been recognized for raising awareness of substance use and suicide prevention issues in the state.
Though their jobs differ, their goal is the same: connecting with and strengthening communities.
Lisa Vasquez, of Nashua, received the Certified Prevention Specialist of the Year award from the Prevention Certification Board of NH on June 6. At the time, she was a behavioral health strategist and member of Nashua’s Division of Public Health and Community Services, Greater Nashua Public Health Network. She believes she is the first Latina to achieve this award.
“It does feel pretty cool (to be recognized),” says Vasquez.
Vasquez’s work within Nashua included facilitating strategic planning, nurturing community connections and creating a successful proposal to incorporate a social worker into the Nashua Police Department.
She also has made strides toward communicating with others across language barriers.
She previously worked on a podcast about mental health, “Speaking Our Mind,” which is conducted in five languages. In each episode, five hosts discuss a topic in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Swahili.
Since 2016, Vasquez has also worked on substance use disorder issues.
Vasquez, who is continuing her work in behavioral health for a different agency, notes the language barriers that exist.
“How do people access services if they don’t speak English? I speak Spanish, and that has been something that I’ve been focused on for the Latino community, but also all communities, and making sure that anything we do is able to be accessed by people who don’t speak English,” says Vasquez.
On June 20 in Concord, Catalina Kirsch received the NAMI NH Systems Transformation Leader award. Kirsch is a continuum of care facilitator with the Carroll County Coalition for Public Health, an initiative of Granite United Way.
As part of the coalition, Kirsch brings awareness to the state’s mental health care system by promoting substance use prevention, treatment and recovery in the Carroll County Public Health Network.
As one of three suicide-prevention teams in New Hampshire, Kirsch, connects youth with mental health supports and services. Kirsch says financial barriers can prevent access to these vital health services, creating gaps in care.
“There are economic disparities in every community in New Hampshire. So a lot of our work is about equity and access to the services and opportunities that people need to be well,” says Kirsch.
Vasquez and Kirsch both say these public acknowledgments can pave the way for other Latina professionals to make a difference in their community.
This article is featured in the winter 2024 issue of 603 Diversity.
603 Diversity’s mission is to educate readers of all backgrounds about the exciting accomplishments and cultural contributions of the state’s diverse communities, as well as the challenges faced and support needed by those communities to continue to grow and thrive in the Granite State.
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