- By FYH News Team
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CT Paid Leave officials report that Hispanic adults were 60% less likely to have received mental health treatment than non-Hispanic white adults in 2023.
HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Paid Leave Program issued a reminder Thursday that paid leave benefits may be available to Hispanic workers seeking care for a serious mental health condition.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health reports that Hispanic adults were 60% less likely to have received mental health treatment in 2023 than non-Hispanic white adults.
CT Paid Leave benefits are designed to remove obstacles to care by making it possible for these workers to seek professional help without having to risk or lose their income.
“Data has shown that people of color in Connecticut are more likely to live in poor health, in part because of differences in access to health care providers, insurance, resources and disparate treatment in health care,” CT Paid Leave Authority CEO Erin Choquette said.
She added that the roadblocks make it harder for the state’s Hispanic population to receive care, especially mental health care.
“With paid leave benefits, employees can take time away from work to seek treatment and know that they can receive income replacement benefits to take care of their families,” Choquette said.
Last year, the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services reported that 21% of its population seeking care were of Hispanic/Latino origin.
These people were clients served in DMHAS-funded or DMHAS-operated programs at all levels of care, including in-patient, out-patient and substance use.
Evelyn Alejandro, executive director of the Professional Young Visionaries of Tomorrow, described paid leave as a great program.
“I think more people in the Hispanic community need to understand what it is and what it can do for them,” Alejandro said. “I don’t think many people know that they can take leave for mental health, or that they can take leave for caregiving.”
Alejandro added that a lot of people are caregivers in the Hispanic community, “so that is super helpful.”
Thursday’s reminder by the CT Paid Leave Authority was issued in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, both which occur in September.
For more information about CT Paid Leave, please visit this link.
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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