Connecticut Latina Wins Prestigious National Mental Health Award Dynamic Advocate Unites Community of Latinos, Focusing on Culturally Sensitive Care ATLANTA, May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Depression can be devastating, and when the only services available either ignore your ideals and beliefs, or are in a language you can't understand, mental illness also can seem insurmountable. For her dedication to filling the void of culturally appropriate care for Latinos with mental illness, Ana Lazu has been honored by an independent panel of national mental health leaders with the 2005 Welcome Back Award for primary care. Eli Lilly and Company sponsors the national awards program, which is in its seventh year. Lazu had worked in Connecticut's mental health community for several years when she began experiencing periods of major depression, anxiety and panic attacks. When the hours of sitting at home in isolation gradually turned into days and months, Lazu decided that she needed to find help. Yet, her search for Latino-specific information yielded unsatisfactory results; her findings either contradicted or neglected to incorporate her Latino traditions, language and culture. "Like other Latinos living with mental illness, I faced a double stigma -- one imposed by society, and one imposed by my culture," says Lazu. "My language, religion and traditions are an important part of my identity, and I wanted to find services that would enable me to preserve my heritage while becoming well." Deciding to take matters into her own hands, Lazu created Latinos Unidos Siempre (LUS), a non-profit organization that has become highly successful in providing culturally sensitive and appropriate care to the Latino population of eastern Connecticut. LUS provides referral, advocacy, education, counsel and case management support to Latinos who have mental illnesses, substance abuse problems, or have family members with these illnesses. Lazu's proudest achievement is LUS's PRIMOS Training Program. Students learn how to overcome cultural and language barriers so that they can secure quality care for themselves. Lazu prepares her students for employment and continuing education, and gives them a comfortable place to learn interpersonal skills and practice English. Students leave the program with a sense of personal value, and a drive to help other Latinos facing similar problems. PRIMOS is the Spanish word for "cousins," and in providing her students with the means to take care of themselves, as well as those around them, Lazu has succeeded in transforming the community into an extended family. "Ana Lazu is a powerful and successful agent of community change," says Dr. Brendan Montano, Welcome Back Awards committee member and assistant clinical instructor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. "In less than a year, she went from being the patient to the primary source of aid for hundreds of Latinos with mental illness, educating both patient and provider on the importance of culturally sensitive treatment." Lazu is one of six individuals who will be honored at the seventh annual Welcome Back Awards ceremony on May 21, in Atlanta. Sponsored by Lilly, the Welcome Back Awards is a national program that recognizes outstanding individuals who make a difference in the depression community. In addition to her award, a $10,000 contribution from Lilly will be made on Lazu's behalf to Latinos Unidos Siempre and to the National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA), for the NLBHA Josie Romero Scholarship Fund. Nominations for the 2006 Lilly Welcome Back Awards may be submitted by anyone wishing to recognize an individual for outstanding achievements within the depression community. For more information, call 800-463-6440 or visit http://www.welcomebackawards.com/. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050516/WBACKLOGO ) http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050516/WBACKLOGO DATASOURCE: Eli Lilly and Company CONTACT: Helen DelleCave of Chamberlain Communications Group, +1-212-884-0649

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