See, Believe, & Achieve

  Click Here for Project UROK Page   Click Here for Project UROK Instagram  “I began this work in memory of a close friend I lost to suicide and in keeping her memory alive, I found my life’s purpose.” -Ane How do you support Latinx mental health? It definitely has been a journey filled with gratitude, where no day is the same. One day I can be driving three hours out to a rural part of my state to provide a suicide prevention training for a school. The next day I’ll be working on mental health policy change. At times it’s been late nights on a Friday evening (because that’s when a crisis happens), calling all my mental health contacts to successfully identify a provider who can take in a new client immediately. Some days it’s sitting on the sidewalk sharing a sandwich with my friend Aaron, who is homeless and suffers from mental illness–hoping that our conversation will get him to agree to see a provider. It’s nights filled with frustration over our...

Did you hear that? It's the sound of me whooshing the dust of this ol' blog. A lot of life has happened since my last post, but it's what is happening now that has moved me to put thought to keyboard. The uproar of Netflix's new series, "13 Reasons Why" has left me conflicted on so many levels. So, I'm going to do my best to use this post as a means to address it. A few weeks ago, I heard about a new series called, "13 Reasons Why." The story line is narrated by a teenage girl named Hannah Baker. With the opening scene viewers learn that she has died by suicide and each episode gives a clue as to the reasons why on cassette tapes. The heavy topics depicted in the show on mental health, suicide, substance abuse, date rape, sexual harassment, and domestic violence are all something we should be addressing more of. Suicide is now the the 3rd leading cause of death for youth 14-25 years old. Sadly, in my home state of New Mexico suic...

Today's post is inspired by President Obama's historical visit to a federal prison. As the first sitting President to ever to do so, it highlights a serious issue that often remains silenced behind stone walls. A high number of individuals incarcerated have a mental illness. 55% of male inmates and 73% of female inmates suffer from at least one form of mental illness. Due to the lack of access to mental health facilities and services, jails and prisons have now become the number one provider for mental health services. If someone is suffering from a heart attack, people would call 911 and would ask for an ambulance. However, if someone is suffering from a mental health crisis and/or threatening suicide, most people would dial 911 and ask for the police.  Across the nation, law enforcement officials have become inundated in responding to crisis calls. Police offices trained to fight crime and protect their communities, are now taking on the role of therapist. This rea...

Well, this is my first blog post as a married woman! Trust me, no one is as surprised as me. Growing up I was never that little girl who dreamed about her wedding day and finding prince charming. No, I was the little girl who dreamed of going to Miss America and working on Capitol Hill. Love? Who has time for that nonsense? The concept of marriage was like a beautiful song in a foreign language--you love the melody, but can't comprehend the lyrics.Besides, people have a tendency to change, regardless of how well meaning their intentions were, so why on Earth would anyone take a chance on something so risky? It is often said that in order for any relationship to work, there is a substantial level of compromise and, "give and take." I often witnessed as two people met, dated, committed their undying love towards each other and then somewhere down the line, someone was expected to change--change the way they dressed, change their friends, change their career, change ...

"Vivir Mi Vida" by Marc Anthony (  Link for Lyrics in English ) A new year is upon us and with that comes the list of resolutions and goals. After almost a year away from my blog, I was eager for 2015 to arrive to reconnect with you all again. This time of year has to be one of my favorite, as it embodies the spirit of what my work is all about; envisioning goals and dreams (See), standing outside the comfort zone (Believe), and watching as all the pieces manifest from dreams to reality (Achieve). Our destiny in life is not bound by life's setbacks or circumstances,.  Today is the start of your 365 day journey to who and where you want to be. With that I leave you with Marc Anthony's song "Vivir Mi Vida," which is my anthem for 2015. My friends, we only live once, so next time you think about giving up, ask yourself this question-- What do I want my legacy to be?  Living with intent in 2015 Mindfulness: be present, be aware, connect with all senses, ...

Music is a big part of who I am. It is a universal language that has a way of connecting people of all backgrounds. I have been working on uploading videos and wanted to share a song "Con Un Mismo Corazon" that I recorded with one of my great friends Reynaldo Maestas. We were so honored to have been nominated as New Mexico's 2007 Vocal Duet of the Year. Listening to this brought back so many great memories. The song is originally sung by Ana Gabriel and was probably one of the most challenging songs I have attempted. There is something so powerful and moving about mariachi music. While I have worked on various pieces of music (mostly country) this was my first recording of a mariachi tune. Reynaldo is a n amazing vocalist and as you will hear, his voice is just so crisp and clear. We had the best time working on this in the studio and I look forward to working with him again in the future. I hope to upload some more videos to share with you all, but in the mean tim...

Australian PSA   Sticks and Stones Can Break Your Bones and Words Can Really Hurt You I have two major pet peeves; one is smelly things and the other is when people inappropriately use mental illness terms in offensive and in a non-mental health context way. Doing so is referred to as ableism , and negatively targets individuals living with disabilities. Describing someone or something as "crazy," "bipolar," or "insane" is not okay and should never be accepted. Mental illness is a medical condition that affects a persons thinking, feelings, mood, and overall daily life. Just as with cancer, diabetes, or even the common cold/flu mental illness is also an illness. For thousands of years (yes thousands) the stigma associated with mental illness has silenced men, women, and children preventing them from getting the appropriate help they desperately need and deserve. Words influence our thoughts, actions, and ultimately the world around us. Being cogniza...