On Saturday, Holy Cross Ministries will finish out an educational series of events on substance abuse prevention and mental health. 

The programming, which so far has included workshops and group hikes, has drawn over 100 people.

It all began with Rodrigo Coloma, a community needs analyst at Holy Cross Ministries, and the ministries’ counseling program.

“We started working and were awarded a grant last year from Park City Community Foundation for a project aimed at preventing alcohol and drug use among Latino youth and their families in Summit County,” said Coloma.

While they knew that these topics are generally covered in schools, they wondered how they could make the information be more pertinent to both adults and their youth. 

In order to design the most effective curriculum, they got to know the true needs of the community. Coloma said that through visiting other organizations, local businesses, churches, tabling at events and talking with many people, they surveyed over 100 community members. 

They learned that while many parents were interested in classes on substance abuse prevention, kids were not as keen. They did, however, find that kids, along with their families and adults who work with youth in Summit County, were all interested in learning more about mental health. 

“We offer mental health services, including therapy services, both group therapy and individual therapy, and that is our strength,” said Coloma. “So when it comes to understanding the prevention of alcohol and drug use, we always approach it from a mental health perspective.”

By emphasizing mental health, the Holy Cross Ministries counseling team has produced a series of popular community events.

“Over 50 individuals attended workshops led by the team,” said Coloma, “such as ‘How to Understand the Teenage Brain,’ ‘Managing Stress,’ ‘Anxiety and Depression’ and ‘Substance Abuse Prevention: Risk and Protective Factors.”

Along with these workshops, they held two hiking events called “Safe Steps: Hiking for a Healthier Life,” which were a direct result of community feedback showing high interest in outdoor recreational activities such as family hikes for parents and kids to connect with each other and nature. 

The hikes proved successful with 100 participants, according to Coloma.

They collaborated on the events with other community organizations and focused on connecting the perspectives of adults and their kids, which Coloma said added to the success of the program.

“The workshops are held in parallel for both the youth and their parents,” said Coloma. “Whether separately or together, we cover the same content, and we generally come together to do activities.”

The final event of the series, a wellness festival titled “Steady Steps Toward a Balanced and Fulfilling Life,” is scheduled at the Park City Library from noon-3 p.m. Saturday 

It will be an afternoon full of activities, including yoga and meditation, for the whole family to participate in physical and mental exercise.

“The goal is to provide tools to people, to families, so they can work on prevention and strengthen their mental health,” said Coloma. “We hope to continue, and that the Latino community stays motivated, keeps participating and that they have the tools (to do so).”

Coloma said that they have recognized this need exists in the community and that families are interested in participating.

He explained that when conducting their surveys, they asked both program staff and families about barriers to participation. While staff working with youth claimed that families were not interested, the families they spoke to expressed their interest but highlighted challenges such as time constraints due to multiple jobs, language barriers and not feeling welcome.

“It is very difficult for a parent who (only) speaks Spanish, who has their Latin traditions, to feel comfortable in a place where the schools may or may not hold things in Spanish,” said Coloma. “Or maybe it’s an event that families feel embarrassed to attend, or they feel ashamed because they don’t feel like they belong.”

Holy Cross Ministries is applying for grants in hopes of continuing the project and expanding its offerings.

“Prevention is extremely important; it starts at home, but it also starts in the community,” said Coloma.

To learn more about ongoing events held by Holy Cross Ministries, visit their website hcmutah.org.

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