Experience Summary and Counseling Strategies

Coming from my background of privilege as part of the majority culture and not needing to worry where my next meal or place to sleep will be, I realize I have many personal biases that I may not even be aware of. As I went to Mercado Central, I could only quietly take in my surroundings with curiosity and humility. I don’t believe that it would be appropriate for me to assume I should know what I was doing or be boldly confident in my interactions. 

A person from the Latino culture, possibly newly immigrating from Central or South America would have a number of barriers to overcome in navigating a mid-western city. Finding a community that has resources and connections with Spanish speaking guides would be essential components for finding housing, jobs, and transportation. A place like the Mercado Central would be an ideal place to find help. A person with English as a second language may have to deal with people in the majority culture seeing an accent as a sign of lack of education and may be treated disrespectfully. Finding a job that pays enough to support a family can also be a challenging task when employers are hesitant to deal with paperwork hurdles.

To assess cultural barriers for a client from a Latino cultural background, I would utilize the Cultural Formulation Interview assessment from the DSM-5 manual (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) to get an understanding of how the client views their presenting problem and to ask how family and cultural views may influence treatment goals. It would be important to ask the client how they view their cultural background and the way it affects their daily interactions.

Some barriers for Latino clients for accessing mental health and/or substance abuse treatment programming would include a lack of Spanish speaking providers, inadequate insurance coverage, immigration status issues, and fears of discrimination (SAMSHA, 2014). As a provider, I want to expand my understanding of cultural issues facing my clients and I feel it will be very important for me to work on my Spanish language skills to enhance my future practice.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).

SAMHSA, (2014). Improving Cultural Competence. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) #59. 

HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4849.

Resources for Clients Experiencing Housing or Food Crisis

Local food and shelter resources for Winona, MN

Winona Catholic Worker’s Bethany House 

832 W Broadway St.

(507) 454-8094

Open hours: Monday 8-11, Tuesday 8-11, Thursday 4-7 with community meal at 5pm, Saturday 1-3. 

Open hours include an opportunity to shower, do laundry, and use the phone.

Winona Community Warming Center

69 E 3rd St

(507) 454-2270

Open 7 days/week from 9pm-7am from November 1-March 31

Provides emergency shelter for up to 20 adult guests during the winter months.

Winona Community Day Center

151 E 3rd St

(507) 470-4090

Open 7 days/week year round from 10am-6pm

Provides a day shelter for adults experiencing homelessness.

Winona Volunteer Services

402 E 2nd St

(507) 452-5591

Food Shelf Hours: Monday 10:00am – 12:45pm, Tuesday 10:00am – 12:45pm, Wednesday

10:00am – 12:45pm, Thursday 3:00pm – 5:45pm, Friday 2:00pm – 4:45pm

Access to the food shelf is based on income and family size.

Volunteer Services also has a coordinated assistance program with emergency housing, transportation, and diapers/formula. They also offer a meal delivery service for qualifying individuals.

Grace Place

66 E 2nd St

(507) 452-2283

Has gifts of grace where families can have up to 10 items per month of diapers, formula, cleaning supplies, and toiletries.

Grace House is a transitional shelter for women and children. 

Semcac Center

76 W 3rd St

(507) 864-7741

Has a clinic, emergency housing assistance, and food service for older adults.

Immersive Experience Mosaic

 

Diving in with caution 

Frustration and ease occupy the same space

Like parenting or dying

Not knowing what to expect or how to react

Fear forcing a shy smile

Forging forward to genuine connection

Leaving comfort to create community

Daily brave steps 

Despite resistance

New paths transforming perspectives

Los Dos Amigos Grocery- Part 2 extended

 

  A Surprising Multicultural Experience

    Last week I took my kids to the dentist. My older children had a teeth cleaning scheduled in downtown Winona. As we were waiting, my younger boys and I walked around the events at Steamboat days. We were enjoying the light breeze and watching kids screaming as they soared through the air on rides that I would have a panic attack with the thought of riding. After my big kids were finished with their appointment we all went to watch the show where trained dogs were going to do fantastic tricks. To our disappointment, they had canceled the show stating that the winds made the show too dangerous for the performance. 

    Though we missed the show, I glimpsed a sign across the street advertising fresh Tamales for sale. Tamales are usually made with corn mesa and a spiced meat in the center, wrapped in corn husks and prepared with multiple steps to create an amazing feast. I decided to take the opportunity to check out the new shop called Los Dos Amigos Grocery on 2nd street. We opened the door to a young boy watching his baby sister toddling around with a bottle of milk. Three women were managing the store and spoke Spanish. I immediately felt out of place and awkward, but tried to be as natural and easy going as possible, helping my children to feel comfortable with this new and unexpected environment. I asked about the sign for the tamales and a young man cashiering interpreted for the women. He said they were bringing the tamales soon, but they weren’t there yet. I decided we should take the opportunity to see what else they were selling in the store. We asked about the white cake with strawberry slices and found out this was a “tres leches” cake. I felt very conspicuous since we were the only customers in the store. I didn’t want to make a hasty exit, but I also was not prepared to feel so observed. I asked the kids if they’d like to pick out a few things that looked interesting. We got a piece of cake, and some Mexican candies and gum. I was thankful that the young man spoke English as I was checking out, but I’m reminded again that I really need to focus on learning Spanish. 

    We shared the rich and sweet cake drenched in milk. I don’t think I’ve ever had a cake like it before. Then each of the children took a bite from the sweets they had chosen. A lollipop filled with chili powder? We laughed with each taste, not having expected the sweet and spicy combination. Maybe we shouldn't have been eating candy just after going to the dentist, but I loved my children's’ willingness to experience something new that day. Though I had not been planning on having a multicultural outing, I feel like we each gained a little more flexibility and courage.

Mercado Central- Part 2

 

A world away in a city nearby

    When I was looking for an immersive multicultural experience, I did not think I would find anything in my rural southeast Minnesota town that would have a spot where I would feel like I didn’t fit in (to my surprise I did happen upon a Winona store later on in the month). I looked through the list of possible places to enhance my multicultural adaptability. Many of the restaurants on the list had closed due to the difficult financial circumstances of the past years of the pandemic. I decided to go to the Mercado Central based on the google reviews sharing that it was a place for Latino culture and cuisine.

    As I first entered the market that afternoon it was surprising to find a parking spot nearby. Some of the shops were starting to close, so I may not have gotten to experience the full excitement and bustle of the mercado. Instead I was able to explore with some curiosity at the same time as feeling out of place and a little socially awkward. Most of the shop owners seemed bored, waiting for the end of the day to come in order to close up shop. They smiled as I walked through, but did not ask if I was looking for anything.

    The mercado was laid out in a circle and had stairs in the central area leading to an upper floor with offices for services such as insurance, a hair salon, and a mental health care office. An area was dedicated to a job board and lists of community services for food and legal help. The whole Mercado Central was like a mini community with every type of store and service you might be looking for in one building. They even had a Spanish language newspaper available for free that highlighted the local news of the Minneapolis area.

    This place removes many of the barriers for helping people get connected to resources. I was excited that they had a counseling office easily accessible for the Spanish speaking community. The store website has a list of services available http://mimercadocentral.com/services/

  

Bethany House- Part 1

 Community of Welcome

    I actually had a hard time finding a meal available in the Winona area. After the pandemic started many of the community meals have taken a hiatus. I thought about writing on the meals that my kids pick up from the lunch bus at the aquatic center, but I finally found a time to get away to check out the Winona Catholic Worker’s Bethany House.

Their website stated that they had meals for pickup on weekday evenings along with the opportunity to do laundry or take showers. I parked nearby with the thought of quickly getting a meal already packaged and ready to go, but instead I walked into a meal laid out on the kitchen counter with multiple people already eating. I recognized the couple that were hosting the meal as being the parents of one of my daughter’s friends from school. They didn’t ask why I was there, instead they invited me in to fill a plate and find a place to sit. 

Although I felt slightly uncomfortable walking into an unfamiliar situation, I had no qualms about joining this community. We started talking about the possibility of the new police and fire station being built at the east end recreation center site. The city was finally going to allow a public comment on the possible plan and most people that I’ve talked to are opposed to the proposal. 

I really appreciated how welcome I felt at the Bethany House. It seemed that anyone who walked through the door was accepted and allowed to participate as much or as little as wanted. I ate quickly knowing I needed to get back home, but I am looking forward to seeing how I can get involved with this community service in the future.