Puerto Rican Voice and Participation on the Executive Board of the International Union of Psychological Science
The International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) elected Puerto Rican Dr. Marizaida Sánchez Cesáreo as the organization’s treasurer. Dr. Sánchez Cesáreo is the first Puerto Rican woman to hold a leadership position in this organization, which brings together professionals and associations dedicated to mental health worldwide. In her role, Sánchez Cesáreo will promote an agenda representing Caribbean identities in international psychology, bring new resources to the institution, and foster collaborations with other organizations.
“The International Union of Psychological Science has tremendous potential to engage in collective impact efforts to attract new members, expand its capacity, and consolidate its position as a global psychology representative. I look forward to contributing to the organization’s growth and the advancement of a diverse agenda on the issues driving our profession and impacting the countries of our region,” said Sánchez Cesáreo, who is the CEO of Grupo Nexos, a Puerto Rican nonprofit organization providing consulting, capacity building, and evaluation services using evidence-based practices.
Sánchez Cesáreo holds a Ph.D. in Community Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Women’s Studies from DePaul University in Chicago. In addition to leading Grupo Nexos, she chairs the Governor’s Advisory Council on Juvenile Justice Prevention. She has played a key role in the local creation and dissemination of evidence-based practices. Recognized for her contributions to public health, she has initiated more than 50 community health projects grounded in the collective impact framework.
Sánchez Cesáreo’s election took place during the 33rd International Congress of Psychology, recently held in Prague, Czech Republic. The organization elected its board of directors to drive the entity’s strategic plans for the next four years. The Congress brought together over 4,000 psychology professionals from around the world.
The International Union of Psychological Science has 96 member countries and 20 affiliated organizations, representing over a million psychologists worldwide. It seeks to promote the development, practice, and representation of psychology as a science at national, regional, and international levels. Founded in 1889 during the first International Congress of Psychology in Paris, it holds consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, maintains formal association relations with UNESCO, and official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO).
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Nexo Directo Newsletter | August 2024
Access our quarterly newsletter here: Nexo Directo Newsletter | August 2024
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International Congress of Psychology
Puerto Rico will participate in the International Congress of Psychology in Prague, organized by the International Union of Psychological Science. The Puerto Rico Association of Psychology will be present, and our members are part of the delegation, offering a keynote address on strategies to improve employee well-being and oral presentations on well-being, trauma, and care experiences.
The conference will be held from July 21 to 26, 2024. Access our participation schedule here: GN – Itinerario Conferencia Internacional Psicología 2024
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Health education project launches tool to strengthen parenting skills
The photo book showcases dynamics to help parents or caregivers connect with their teenage children.
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Grupo Nexos: Annual Report 2023
The annual report for Grupo Nexos for the year 2023 is now available. The first annual report of Grupo Nexos is a milestone that marks our journey since our foundation in 2021. This report highlights our efforts and achievements from our inception until December 2023. You can access the report through the following link: Grupo Nexos: 2023 Annual Report
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Capacity building on Functional Family Therapy model
The family-centered intervention will be used in Puerto Rico to transform prevention and family preservation services.
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El Nuevo Día: Organizations receive a $6 million federal grant to address child poverty and health inequity.
The funds are intended to subsidize research aimed at promoting long-term changes in how minors from 0 to 21 years old, their parents, and caregivers receive services.
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Innovative research initiative receives $6M award to fight health disparities fueled by poverty in Puerto Rico
The initiative will employ a collective impact approach resulting from the collaboration of local organizations and national partners.
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Grupo Nexos inaugurates its new headquarters
Grupo Nexos celebrated the grand opening of its new headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on August 10, 2023, with the participation of a large group of collaborators and guests. The space now houses the organization’s administrative offices and shared workspaces.
Dr. Marizaida Sánchez Cesáreo, the Executive President of Grupo Nexos, marked the occasion as a significant milestone for the team, which has grown to include over a hundred individuals, encompassing employees, contractors, and collaborators. “Many years ago, upon returning to work in Puerto Rico, I drafted a proposal for what I envisioned as a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the health and well-being of communities through evidence-based practices. Grupo Nexos is the culmination of that vision.”
The offices are situated at Centro Altamira, 501 Perseo Street, Suite A, in San Juan.
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El Nuevo Día: Study promotes the use of evidence-based practices among mental health professionals in Puerto Rico
Evidence-based practices are treatment or prevention methods proven successful in clinical or community studies. They optimize cost-effectiveness and the probability of success in mental health care. However, half of the professionals in this field in Puerto Rico need to learn how to implement them.
A new study by Natalia Giraldo Santiago, a postdoctoral researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, assessed the needs and attitudes of mental health professionals in Puerto Rico towards the use of evidence-based practices. Her findings indicate that while most surveyed social workers, psychologists, and counselors supported their use, socio-economic and cultural factors could hinder their implementation.
Giraldo Santiago, trained as a social worker at the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus, initiated the study in response to the country’s urgent mental health issues. In Puerto Rico, 19% of the population suffers from mental health problems, and 24% from substance use and abuse. Evidence-based practices serve “as a guide to help providers offer equal, high-quality care to all affected,” the researcher emphasized.
“If one recognizes ethical responsibility and competencies to demonstrate, then the use of evidence-based practices is very much in mind and comes out quite naturally,” expressed Patricia Landers Santiago, president of the Puerto Rico Psychology Association.
Giraldo Santiago’s study revealed that 75% of mental health professionals viewed evidence-based practices as appropriate for the Puerto Rican population. Yet, 51% were unsure how to access them, and 44% had not received training on their use in the past year.
The study also found that the Puerto Rican population surveyed was less favorable towards using evidence-based practices compared to US and international samples analyzed by other researchers.
So why aren’t these effective practices more widespread?
This partly relates to the Puerto Rico Mental Health Law (Law 408-2000) requirements. While the law encourages the use of effective and rigorous practices, it allows community-based organizations treating addictions to employ “historical, traditional, and ordinary” practices not necessarily scientifically verified.
Lili Sardiñas, a member of the Evidence-Based Working Group managed by Grupo Nexos, noted that shifting from traditional to evidence-based practices could be challenging. “There was considerable resistance to adopting evidence-based practices initially because people are used to doing things in their own way,” she said, “but this resistance is normal.”
Over time, Sardiñas observed an increase in the number of funders requiring these practices for project financing, leading to more professionals adopting them.
Nonetheless, even with the willingness to adopt these practices, “the lack of adequate compensation is a barrier,” Giraldo Santiago mentioned. “It’s challenging to shift towards these practices when more than 40% hold two, three, or four jobs. People lack the capacity to make this shift.”
Adopting an evidence-based practice demands significant time and effort. Professionals must sift through hundreds of options to find the best fit for a patient, study manuals, and take lessons on implementation. Often, adapting a study conducted on a US population for Puerto Ricans is necessary.
Grupo Nexos maintains the PBE Archive, compiling detailed descriptions of 562 evidence-based practices to ease professional access. This database includes manuals translated into Spanish.
“The adaptation of these practices for Puerto Rico is crucial,” she stressed. “Considerations must include language, religion, and all socio-economic factors.”
This adaptation is taking place within the field and across the country. “Psychology is now looking to Latin American and other international resources to develop a local psychology,” Landers Santiago added. “Psychology that is distinctly Puerto Rican for Puerto Ricans.”
Both interviewed experts and the majority of surveyed professionals view evidence-based practices as essential for Puerto Rican psychology.
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