From its first breath at the Miami, FL, launch in October 1999, SAMHSA’s Hispanic/Latino initiative had a ready and loyal fan base of community leaders, service providers, parents, youth, and members of the media. Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), this highly successful bilingual public education campaign was developed to respond to the devastating impact of substance abuse on the Hispanic/Latino population. The Initiative was a project within the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) on which URC formerly served as subcontractor to the project's prior prime contractor Social & Health Services, Ltd (SHS).

Guided by a group of exceptional steering committee members, the Initiative produced 19 health communication materials, held 21 promotional events, disseminated more than 2 million copies of these materials across the United States, and developed websites that received more than 2 million hits per month.  Most importantly, these materials and websites have been embraced by Latino communities and have inspired teachers, counselors, parents, and prevention specialists to get involved in helping Latino parents and girls with key issues such as parenting, self-esteem, acculturation, and mental health. 

The products and efforts created by URC’s team of talented professionals will have a lasting effect on the United States Latino community. The campaign’s impact, resonating through all levels of the Latino substance abuse prevention world, is evidenced by the following examples:

• Hablemos en Confianza (HEC), a set of 9 materials to help parents communicate with their children about substance abuse issues, was a direct hit with the community and inspired parents in a Texas community to go door to door “teaching” the HEC material to families in their neighborhood. It was also the basis for a substance abuse prevention campaign developed by the Mexican governmental agency, Consejo Nacional Contra Las Adicciones (CONADIC), for Mexicans living in the United States as well as Mexican Nationals.
• The ¡Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina! Initiative, gave educators, parents, counselors, and service providers tangible materials with which to create programs and groups to address the often intangible needs of Latina girls—such as help maneuvering conflicting cultural norms and taking pride in ones heritage and roots. Examples of the many programs that resulted from this initiative follow:
• A mom in Gaithersburg, MD, turned her desire “to do something” into a weekly program for girls of various ethnicities. This group has captured the attention of the National Institute of Standards and Technology chapter of Sigma Xi, and resulted in yearly sponsorship for the Sally Ride Toy Challenge, and recognition at their yearly banquet. A counselor in another Maryland community created a counseling group for Latina girls who had been acting out after September 11, and found that it reduced the rates of delinquency among the girls. Pierluigi Mancini of Atlanta, GA, created a successful after-school program based on the ¡Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina! Initiative that serves 250 girls and boys in seven schools.

• Four free full color ads in VANIDADES, a prestigious magazine with a circulation of 5 million, a value of more than $200,000!
• Publication of a priceless photograph of the SAMHSA Administrator with Initiative spokespersons and three young Latinas in VANIDADES magazine.
• Front-page color coverage in El Tiempo Latino and Washington Hispanic (combined circulation 100,000).
• A bilingual article in the Washington Post’s Kid’s Post (circulation 1 million).

The fully bilingual websites provided excellent resources to Latino parents and girls, as well as service providers who work with Latino families. These sites provided on-line version of Initiative materials, copyright-free content and articles, and opportunities to get involved. Key features included:

• Highlighting Role Models
  Through the ¡Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina! website, girls had an opportunity to read about successful Latinas in various professions. Featured guests included authors and actresses, politicians and performers, painters and entrepreneurs. We featured over 50 Latina role models, including pop stars Gloria Estefan, and Shakira, NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow, NASA Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, and basketball great Rebecca Lobo.

• Sharing Real Voices, Real Stories
  URC staff reached out to dedicated Latina professionals and young Latina women to lend their voices, stories, and insights to the websites. Latinas responded brilliantly, revealing their passion and dedication for our community. Young women volunteered to be Reporteritas and told us about the world they live in. In appreciation of their time and talents, we compiled their stories into Spanish and English booklets so they will always remember the valuable contribution they made to our efforts. Professional Latinas also stepped up to the challenge. Tucked just inside the "Your Future" main page is a gem—a "career" series of articles that inspire young Latinas to reach their potential and be the best they can be. These articles, written by Latinas for Latinas, share secrets about believing in yourself, learning about colleges and careers, and attaining success.

• Shining the Spotlight on the Community
  Each month we profiled a community-based organization that reaches out to the Latino community using SAMHSA’s Hispanic/Latino initiative materials. This provided National visibility for local groups, created an environment of idea-sharing, and allowed other organizations to connect directly with those using our materials in their programs.

• Put it to Work in Your Program
  Organizations were encouraged to integrate articles from SAMHSA’s Hispanic/Latino initiative websites into their programming and communications. Credit to SAMHSA’s Hispanic/Latino Initiative as the original source is appreciated.

For information on the Hispanic/Latino Initiative's lastest award winning product link to Para Todos Wins 2006 Gold National Health Information Award.