Date

5-2020

Document Type

Capstone Project (Campus-Only Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Department

Health, Human Services and Public Policy

Major

Collaborative Health and Human Services, Social Work Concentration

Abstract

The devastating reality is Hispanics/Latinos living with multiple sclerosis (MS) are not accessing resources due to their cultural beliefs, language barriers and lack of programs in Spanish. The nonprofit organization, Central Coast Quality of Life Program’s (CCQLP) was established to address and improve the needs of individuals living with MS and Parkinson's disease in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties. However, the services available in the community to help people cope with MS serve English speakers only. Therefore, the Hispanic/Latino community living with MS are more susceptible to acquiring depression, developing additional health risks and becoming socially isolated. The Hispanic population will reach 111 million by 2060 (Hispanic Heritage Month 2018). This signifies that the Hispanic population is increasing drastically in the United States and the need to improve, serve, and provide more resources to this population is vital, especially to those who are suffering from a chronic illness. As a result, a Spanish support group was established on February 20, 2020 to address the underlying effects. The Spanish support group meets every 3rd Thursday of each month from 10:30am-12:00pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salinas, California. The first Spanish support group was a total success as individuals who attended declared to be extremely satisfied and found it to be very useful. It is recommended for CCQLP to continue doing outreach to increase attendance rates and continue providing the service. Lastly, it is recommended that the organization evaluates and determines the effectiveness of the support group more thoroughly over time.

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