Hombres, Healing & Hope: Breaking the Silence on Hispanic Men’s Mental Health
- Tyzza Macias
- Sep 17
- 2 min read
Nearly one in four Hispanics and Latinos will experience mental illness, yet most will never receive care. For men, the silence runs deeper. Generations have been taught that strength means stoicism and that vulnerability is weakness. This September in Dallas, the Cannenta Foundation aims to break that silence.
On September 19, 2025, Dallas College Mountain View Campus will host the annual Hispanic Mental Health Conference, a gathering that has become a national touchpoint for culturally informed conversations. This year’s theme, “Hombres, Healing & Hope: Breaking the Silence on Men’s Mental Health,” confronts head-on the cultural stigma surrounding Latino masculinity and mental health.
“In our culture, men are often taught to be strong by staying silent—but silence can be heavy,” said Dr. Leti Cavazos, founder of the Cannenta Foundation and recipient of the 2025 Hispanic Business Salute Award presented by KXTX Telemundo39 and KXAS NBC5. “This year, we’re focusing on men because they deserve spaces where they can share, heal, and feel supported without fear or shame. When our men are healthy, our families and communities grow stronger together.”
The conference will feature keynote addresses from two nationally recognized leaders. Fred Sandoval, MPA, Executive Director of the National Latino Behavioral Health Association, brings over three decades of experience in health and human services and has advised under two U.S. Presidents and a state governor. Dr. J. Rocky Romero, LMSW, CEO of JR Romero & Associates, is a longtime consultant for SAMHSA’s National Hispanic & Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and a scholar whose doctoral work applies a Critical Race Theory lens to colonization and legal discourse. Together, their voices carry both authority and urgency.
The disparities they confront are stark. According to SAMHSA, 22 percent of Hispanics and Latinos experience mental illness, but only 36 percent receive treatment, compared with 52 percent of white individuals. Cannenta’s conference aims to close that gap by blending education, cultural awareness, and direct action. Beyond the panels and sessions, proceeds will fund scholarships for aspiring bilingual counselors in Texas, ensuring that the next generation of practitioners is better equipped to serve communities that have too often been overlooked.
The day-long conference promises more than dialogue. Attendees will engage with breakout sessions, networking opportunities, and agency exhibits that connect families, professionals, and advocates directly with resources. By addressing both stigma and structural barriers, the conference aims to transform not only individual lives but also the systems that surround them.
The Cannenta Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is built on a simple yet urgent premise: access to affordable, compassionate, and culturally competent mental health services is not a privilege, but a right. Through crucial events like this, the organization works to dismantle financial, linguistic, and cultural barriers that prevent too many from accessing care.
Registration for the 2025 Hispanic Mental Health Conference is now open. For details and to secure a spot, visit cannentafoundation.org/mental-health-conference25. But beyond the logistics lies something greater: for Hispanic men, silence has long been a survival tactic. In Dallas this September, it becomes the first step toward healing.
