Date of Conferral
2023
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Counselor Education and Supervision
Advisor
La Toya Johnson
Abstract
Latinx parents want to participate in their child’s education plan but are faced with increased challenges since the 2016 anti-immigrant policies amplified the disparities in utilizing mental health services. Latinx parents want to collaborate with school psychologists and mental health providers to help their children but do not readily trust them based on their negative past experiences. Therefore, Latinx parents struggle to receive academic accommodations for their children with mental health challenges. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to address this gap and explore the lived experience of Latinx parents who advocate on behalf of their children with mental health challenges within public educational settings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Latinx parents of a child in public school who have been attending meetings for their child’s mental health challenge for a minimum of one year. Data analysis was conducted using the transcendental phenomenological perspective to capture the participants’ lived experiences. This study illuminated the experiences of Latinx parents’ collaboration efforts in order to provide rich information for counselor culturally competent advocacy training. The results of this transcendental phenomenological research may be helpful for school and community counselors to understand the lived experiences of Latinx parents when collaborating with education professionals when their child suffers from mental health challenges.
Recommended Citation
Durfee, Christine R., "Latinx Parents’ Mental Health Advocacy Efforts in School Settings" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 14683.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/14683
