Partnership es lo primero

Emma Share

March 5, 2019

When we got our team assignment for our week in the Rio Grande Valley, my internal reaction was "you want me for this project?". As an untrained focus group facilitator, and a white woman from Michigan, I had self-doubts about what I could bring to the role of facilitating groups about men's mental health in a southern border community. I worried about building rapport in such a short time, and creating a space in which Mexican-American men would want to talk with me, an outsider, about their mental health concerns. But I trusted our community partner's invitation, and figured at least my Spanish skills could be the start of a connection.

As soon as my confidence about the project grew, our plans drastically changed. During the initial video call with our project lead, a community-based researcher with the University of Texas, we learned about a recent development that dramatically shifted our focus. The day before our call, our project lead spoke with the local school district about a request to look into the recent rise in teen suicide and the landscape of teen mental health in Harlingen. We listened as she brainstormed a completely new project on the spot. She placed local concerns at the core of our conversation. We often hear this mentioned in class, but being present in the decision to follow the lead of community partners is much more powerful. Though overwhelmed by how fast we're moving to pull together a brand new project, I'm energized by the community-based connections driving our involvement.

Anticipating our arrival to the Rio Grande Valley, the question of "you want me for this project?" is less at the forefront of my mind, though it hasn't completely faded.
Each day the list of stakeholder interviews grows, from students and teachers to state commissioners. The worries bubble up when I think about my presence as an outsider, asking sensitive questions about mental health and suicide. Amidst those anxieties, I hold on to my passion for learning about mental health promotion and my experiences working with youth. I hold on to the fact that my role is not to advise or solve the problem, but rather to gather and organize information and insights from community members. I'm grateful to be part of this effort. With a bit more confidence, and enough nervous-excitement to fill a checked-bag, I'm eager to get to work. ¡Nos vemos en el Valle!