Dear family, friends, and community members,
As the Holidays come to an end, we hope you are all in good health and are staying warm. This is the first edition LBHS’s Community Newsletter. The purpose of this newsletter is to educate and connect our community to resources by providing information about our events and services. Make sure to keep an eye out for updates!
In this months Community Newsletter, we will cover a few of the events that LBHS has recently attended or sponsored, most notably our 10 Year Anniversary Gala. We will also provide information regarding our groups, classes, services, and more.
Thank you for all your continued support!
2023 LBHS Highlights
Take a look at some of the highlights from our 10th year serving the community.
Events
LBHS sponsors and attends organizational events, as well as events in the community. You can find information about past and future events below.
Organizational Events
LBHS 10 Year Anniversary
On November 16th, LBHS celebrated our 10 year anniversary. Our anniversary celebration included a variety of activities, such as live music performances, cultural dances, and delicious food.
It was a great opportunity to honor the hard work of our founders, and recognize the important role the next generation of LBHS plays in continuing their legacy.
We hope you enjoy these photos as much as we do!
LBHS in the Community
Jornadas Sabatinas at the Mexican Consulate
The Mexican Consulate provides a resource fair almost every Saturday. LBHS will be attending to share resources on February 10th and March 9th. We hope you’ll join us!
Bilingual Classic Guitar Class in South Salt Lake
The City of South Salt Lake has a guitar course scheduled starting in February. They specifically hired a bilingual instructor to improve accessibility for the Spanish speaking community. The class is 8 weeks with a culminating performance. It is a grant funded class, so participation in all of the classes is expected. The class is $25 for the entire 8 weeks and the City will provide a guitar to keep for anyone that needs one. It is designed for adults aged 55 and better. There are some scholarship funds available.
For more information, please contact Jody Engar, South Salt Lake City’s Arts Program Coordinator, at jengar@sslc.gov.
Classes Available at Granite Family Engagement Centers
Granite Family Engagement Centers provide classes for students and families in Granite School District. These specific classes are for families who have students that attend Kearns High School.
For more information, please contact Karina Solis Castro, the Coordinator for the Family Engagement Center at Kearns High School, at kpsoliscastro@graniteschools.org.
Utah Recovery Rally
Our friends at USARA and NAMI are co-sponsoring the annual Utah Recovery Rally at the Utah State Capitol on February 15th at 4 pm. We are excited to celebrate the incredible lives of people in recovery, and raise awareness to the essential mental health services that all Utahn’s deserve. Please visit USARA’s website here for more information.
Groups and Classes
LBHS offers a variety of support groups for adults and youth. You can find information about the support groups we are currently offering below, as well as the education classes we provide.
Peer Support and Therapy
LBHS offers a peer support and therapy for adults and youth. You can find information about our peer support and therapy programs below.
We’re Hiring!
We are currently looking for a hard working flexible person to join our team as a Floating Youth Programs Coordinator. Please see the attached flyer for more information about this position.
We are also currently hiring for two full-time Peer Support Specialists, one in Park City and one in Provo. The ideal candidates will draw from their own journey of recovery to inspire hope and provide support to others who are facing similar situations. For more information please contact Amanda Martinez, Operations Director at LBHS, at amanda.martinez@latinobehavioral.org
Staff Introduction: Javier Alegre, Executive Director of LBHS
Javier H. Alegre is the Executive Director at Latino Behavioral Health Services in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Javier has a deep passion for community-based programs. This passion was born from lived and professional experiences in Utah 39’s Latino and peer/recovery communities. Javier was born in Chile. He has resided in the United States since 1992, when he attended the English Language Center at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Javier has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance and graduated from The Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah Nonprofit Academy for Excellence. Through his professional experience, Javier has developed strong management, operations, fundraising, development, and communications skills.
Besides working as the Executive Director at LBHS, Javier currently serves as co-chair of the Utah Behavioral Health Planning Advisory Committee (UBHPAC), and co-chair of Communities United for Racial & Ethnic Integration and Equity (CUREIE). He is an Advisory Council Member for the National Hispanic; Latino Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network (NH-ATTC/PTTC); an Advisory Council Member for the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence (PR CoE), and a member of the board of directors for the National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA), and the National Association of Peer Supporters (NAPS).
Javier lives in Salt Lake City with his partner of 23 years and his dogs Milo and Coco (miniature Schnauzers). The four enjoy living near the mountains where the amenities of a big city and the beautiful landscape of the Rocky Mountains afford countless activities.