What September Asks of Us

This month, we're centering Hispanic Heritage Month and Suicide Prevention Month, two observances that ask similar underlying questions in different ways. Who gets seen, who gets support, and what changes when real connection is there instead of missing?

This latest issue brings those questions to life through three voices. Angel Villalobos opens up about the two very different worlds he grew up navigating, in a personal essay for Hispanic Heritage Month. Mylonne Ellison writes about suicide prevention and what it means to redefine strength, drawing on her own family's story. Dr. Ghia Kelly, in her first project spotlight as the new Project Director of our 988 Crisis Systems Response Training and Technical Assistance Center, looks at what it actually takes to build a crisis system people can trust.

Each story is a reminder of how important it is to be seen and heard.

¡Te Estábamos Esperando! We Were Expecting You! 

What does it mean to keep your door open to your community, even when it isn't safe to do so? 

That's the question at the center of Angel Villalobos' blog post for Hispanic Heritage Month. Angel writes about the two very different rules he grew up learning, one for the family table and one for the world outside. Learn how untangling these notions reshaped what resilience means to him as an adult and as an evaluator using culturally responsive and equitable practices. 

988 and Beyond: Building Crisis Systems Communities Can Trust 

In a crisis response system every conversation matters. The gap between a functioning hotline and a system people can rely on is where Dr. Ghia Kelly focuses as she steps into her new role leading the 988 Crisis Systems Response Training and Technical Assistance Center. 

For Suicide Prevention Month, she writes about what strong crisis response requires like relationships across systems, trust built with communities that have often been left out, and a shared standard for who receives good care. This is what it takes to make a system worth calling.

If you or someone you know is needs mental health support, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by call, text, or chat. 

988 Reasons Why You Matter 

This reminder from José Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, highlights the importance of belonging, connection, and knowing you are worthy simply because you are you. As we recognize Hispanic Heritage Month and Suicide Prevention Month, the Change Matrix team is inspired to continue creating conditions for change in large systems so that people feel seen, valued, and connected as part of a healthier community. 

Mr. Tijerino's quote also aligns with our work supporting the 988 Lifeline. Through this project, our team has an in-depth opportunity to build capacity across the national mental health support system and see how greater access to services takes shape in practice. Behind every call or text is a team of people working to make mental health support more accessible, responsive, and connected to the communities they serve across the country.

For Hispanic and Latino communities, as with most communities, culturally responsive and equitable support can strengthen belonging and create more opportunities for future generations to thrive. Everyone deserves to know that their experiences matter, no matter what they are going through. 

More Ways to Connect

Learn more about 988 Lifeline and its free, confidential support available in English and Spanish by phone, text, and chat. 

Explore stories from Hispanic Coloradans working to improve health equity through our past project, The Colorado Equity Compass. 

Suicide Prevention Begins Before the Crisis

What happens before someone reaches a crisis?

That's the question Mylonne Ellison has spent her career sitting with, first as a behavioral health professional, and now as someone who has lost both her mother and her older brother to suicide. 

Strength and silence can start to look the same from the outside. For Suicide Prevention Month, Mylonne traces that confusion through Black communities, behavioral health systems, and her own family's story, making the case that awareness alone isn't enough. 

It's Not Too Late to Share Your Story!

The final session of From the Roots Up: Community Voices Leading the Way Summer Learning Series is happening today, and there's still time to join!

Community-based organizations are already doing powerful work, but the right people don't always know. This session, Storytelling and Community Visibility: Getting the Word Out, explores creative, practical ways to make your organization's impact visible to funders, partners, and the communities you serve.

Join the Collective for Health Equity as they share strategies to increase visibility and outreach that you can use to tell your story, grow your support, and strengthen your connection with the communities you serve.

Build Your CREE Foundation, On Your Time

Culturally responsive and equitable evaluation (CREE) is a foundational support for evaluators and people telling stories about impact. The CREE Learning Series is now open as a self-guided, year-round learning pathway, with rolling registration and reduced fees to make it more accessible than ever.

Whether you're an evaluator, funder, or community-based practitioner, it's a practical entry point into bringing more context, humility, and responsiveness into your work.

Start building your foundation at your own pace today.

Moving Forward Together

At Change Matrix, our work is built on partnership. We are honored to work alongside organizations, leaders, and communities who are committed to making lasting change. We are more excited than ever about the opportunities ahead.

Whether you’re seeking tailored strategies for your organization or leadership coaching to support your own professional growth, our team is here to collaborate with you and co-create solutions.

We look forward to continuing this journey together.