LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A local organization that's helped 1 October survivors is now offering free bilingual mental health support to those struggling in the aftermath of the Dec. 6, 2023 shooting on UNLV's campus.
Licensed clinical social worker Margarita Romano founded Fuente de Vida in 2021, though she'd been working with 1 October survivors for years prior, offering bilingual mental health support — no questions asked.
Fuente de Vida offers mental health services to people of all ages in English and Spanish. When she first started the business, Romano was the only therapist there. Now, she said they have 22 therapists, 16 of whom speak both English and Spanish.
"We serve the multicultural community. People whose primary language is Spanish feel more comfortable receiving therapy in their language," Romano said.
Good Morning Las Vegas anchor Anjali Patel spoke with Romano, who said mental health can be a taboo topic in many communities, including the Latino community. Her organization is fighting that stigma every day and breaking down barriers to access.
"Particularly in the Hispanic community, we don't believe in that, or 'I don't think there's a problem with me. Just don't think about it, and it'll go away,'" Romano said.
Romano and her team were at the reunification center the day a gunman opened fire at UNLV, killing 3 professors and injuring another. She said she sometimes refers to her team as "secondary responders" when it comes to traumatic incidents like this.
"We didn't hesitate to jump in and help," Romano said.
In the days and months after those tragic events on Dec. 6, 2023, Fuente de Vida continues to support the Rebel community by offering free bilingual group therapy sessions for students, staff, and families.
"To students and also the parents, you're not alone. I was very worried about the staff because, as teachers, they feel they want to protect their students. Here, in mental health, we don't judge. It's not right or wrong answers. It's okay not to be okay. Mental health is real," Romano said.
Romano said they've mostly been seeing parents coming to some of those sessions, and she wants to get the word out to students and UNLV staff, as well.
"As parents, I encourage that you also explore those feelings with your children," she said. "Listen to your children, don't judge whatever they're feeling."
She added that many people may not fully come to terms with the shock of such a tragedy until weeks or even months after the incident, which is why she wanted to provide these sessions.
The free UNLV Strong group therapy sessions hosted by Fuente de Vida are on Mondays from 5 to 7 p.m. in-person at their location at 2500 Chandler Avenue, #3. They also offer free virtual group sessions on Saturdays from 4 to 6 p.m. These free sessions are sponsored by the Resiliency and Justice Center.
Registration is strongly recommended. You can register on the Resiliency and Justice Center's website. If you click on the session you'd like to attend on the calendar, you will be taken to a webpage where you can register.
If you would like other bilingual mental health support, Fuente de Vida also offers a "Family Forward" program in partnership with CCSD. The 12-week program provides bilingual support for students and parents at the CCSD Family Support Center. For questions about the program, call (725) 204-8809.
For other mental health services, you can find a list of the paid services Fuente de Vida provides here.
