Clockwise from top left: Jasmine Ramirez-Miranda; conducting focus groups with Spanish speaking families; Ecuador Professional Preparation Program (EPPP) group picture.
Jasmine Ramirez-Miranda is a 4th year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology PhD program who was recently awarded a Division of Graduate Studies Professional Development Award. Jasmine used the award money to fund specialized training in Ecuador.
During summer 2023, Jasmine attended the Ecuador Professional Preparation Program (EPPP). EPPP is for graduate students and mental health professionals and is aimed at increasing mental health care skills and increase cultural and linguistic competency in the provision of human services. Participation in this program provided Jasmine the opportunity to spend 17 days in Ecuador serving at a community mental health clinic. Additionally, she conducted two focus groups with Spanish speaking families to analyze the acceptability and feasibility of the Spanish version of the Family Check-Up web-based app. Jasmine works with Dr. Elizabeth Stormshak, Professor of Counseling Psychology, to study the effectiveness of Stormshak’s Family Check-Up intervention with Spanish-speaking families.
Jasmine’s goal for attending graduate school was to reduce the racial disparities in mental health outcomes. She believes that language is one of the biggest barriers for communities to access services. With her research, she strives to highlight the cultural differences and heterogeneity among Latinx communities and provide a safe space for all Latinx individuals to voice their mental healthcare needs. Jasmine hopes that her work will increase Latinx families’ access to services and improve their overall wellbeing.
Jasmine is motivated by her family to pursue her dreams and goals; their tremendous support has enabled her to grow and continue working hard. Her mentor at UO, Dr. Geovanna Rodriguez, inspires her through her work and commitment and reminds Jasmine that, “Si se puede!” (It is possible).
Jasmine’s advice to future incoming students is to venture out! Explore and participate in activities and programs outside of your comfort zone. Her participation in the Ecuador Professional Preparation Program helped her to gain a better understanding of a subgroup within the Latinx community, it pushed her Spanish skills to another level, and promoted her connections with professionals who were passionate about culturally responsive mental health.
—By Aqsa Khan, Division of Graduate Studies