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A Professional Organization for Culturally Affirming Practice
Founding Board Members
Board Members
Liz Franklin
MSW, LICSW - Chair
Liz received her BAs from the University of Kansas in Spanish and in American Studies with an emphasis in human sexuality in American culture. She received her MSW from the University of Minnesota. Liz is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and uses a Developmental Repair lens in her work. She focuses her direct clinical work on supporting kids, teens, and their parents as they heal from experiences of complex trauma, and she particularly enjoys supporting young people with developmental differences in their healing process.
Liz is currently the Senior Manager of Community Based Mental Health Services at Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES) and teaches the Advanced Clinical Practice with Children and Adolescents course in the School of Social Work’s graduate program at the University of Minnesota. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health (MACMH).
Liz is passionate about helping families and caregivers understand and work with the multiple systems that impact their children in a more empowered way, as well as advocating with those systems to make their processes more inclusive and equitable. She believes strongly that building connections across settings and creating access to high quality educational and supervisory experiences for providers is central to improving experiences for service participants.
In her free time, Liz likes to read, knit, grow things, and cook with her kids.
Brenna Batres,
MSW LICSW- Vice-Chair
Brenna graduated with her Master degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Chicago and her Bachelors in Spanish/International Studies from the University of Wisconsin.
She has been providing bilingual psychotherapy to the Twin Cities Latino community at CLUES for over 5 years. She also provides psychological evaluations for immigration cases and supervision for social work licensure through her private practice, Esperanza Mental Health Services.
Prior to working at CLUES, she volunteered doing health education and outreach in the Dominican Republic, worked as an educator at a shelter for sexually abused adolescents in Bolivia, was a patient navigator at a rural community health center in California, was a case-manager at family homeless shelter in California, worked as counselor for victims of domestic violence in Chicago, was a case-worker for pregnant and parenting teens in Chicago, and interned for a masculinities program in El Salvador.
This certified yoga instructor is passionate about giving under served communities access to mental health services and she loves experiencing and learning about other cultures.
Jordan Jones,
MSW LICSW -Secretary
Jordan completed a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and Spanish at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and a Master of Social Work at St Catherine University/University of St Thomas. She is trained in Narrative Exposure Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Mindfulness interventions, and works with both English and Spanish speakers.
Jordan Jones is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) who has experience working with adults in residential settings, community-based care, and outpatient psychotherapy.
She currently provides outpatient individual psychotherapy to adults and adolescents in the Twin Cities metro area. She provides a supportive environment where clients can reorient themselves, build skills, and develop new insights in order to reach their goals.
Jordan enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, gardening, and foraging for mushrooms.
Mica Cavuoto,
MS, LPC - Technology
Mica began her professional development in Mexico, where she obtained a Degree in Psychology and became a Licensed Psychologist. She then pursued higher education and obtained a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with dual a concentration in Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse, from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
Mica currently works as a Mental Health Psychotherapist at CLUES, where she offers psychotherapy to individuals- children and adults- families and couples, in her office located in both CLUES Minneapolis and St. Paul locations.
In her practice, Mica uses and combines therapeutic modalities and culturally sensitive services to accommodate and help her clients thrive. She has been trained in EMDR and TFCBT. Mica has been immersed in the Latin American cultures and values of Uruguay, Paraguay, Mexico, and Argentina.
Mica devotes herself to helping the Latino community thrive, providing not only psychotherapy to help them deal and cope with their struggles in healthier, more successful ways, but also connecting them to resources available in the community.
Mica also has a goofy sense of humor and love for all living beings, especially animals. In her free time, Mica enjoys photography and spending time with loved ones, her family and her rescued cats.
Maria Cervantes,
BS - Treasurer
Maria was born in Mexico and studied accounting in Mexico. With Spanish being her primary language, Maria has been involved with the community and has many connections in the twin cities.
Maria is bilingual in English and Spanish with great experience as a freelance Interpreter and translator.
For the past 19 years Maria has worked in the finance area dealing with Health Insurances and most likely in the mental health area. Maria is also as possible helping the Spanish speaking families within the community connecting them with services or directing them to appropriate services. Maria is currently serving in two board of directors committee.
Maria values appreciating one's culture and traditions. She expresses this by teaching her children to embrace and take pride in their Mexican heritage and family values.
Laura Black,
LICSW - Director
Laura has a Bachelor’s of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire; while there she studied abroad in Valladolid, Spain. And upon her return to UWEC added a Spanish minor.
Laura currently works at Washburn Elementary in Bloomington in a contract position between Bloomington Public Schools (BPS) and her employer, Washburn Center for Children. Laura is bilingual and has been providing mental health services, in both English and Spanish, to the Latinx community for over 10 years.
She first serviced Latinx families in an early childhood setting in Green Bay, WI. She then went on to obtain a Masters of Social Work from the University of Minnesota. Laura is trained in Trauma Focused – CBT and Practicewise.
Laura's love for the Spanish language was inspired by educators at the high school and college level. Laura looks forward to further increasing advocacy efforts in support of the Latinx community through her position on the Board of Directors for El Consorcio.
Membership
Membership is open to anyone in the Twin Cities who works with Latinx children, adults, and/or families in a clinical, educational, medical, or social service role. The Consortium currently has about 260 members from a variety of mental health and social service agencies, schools, hospitals, medical clinics, county human service teams, and private therapy practices in Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, and Dakota counties. In 2020, the group started charging membership fees, after the organization was formalized and the website developed.
