Presenting “From Listening to Practice: What Latine Advocates Teach Us”

In early August, I had the opportunity to present at the National Conference on Domestic Violence and share what I’ve been learning alongside Latine advocates. As someone who continues to provide direct service in our community, I see firsthand the barriers survivors face as they try to access services and systems. That work grounds me, and it shaped how I approached this session.

Through my role providing national technical assistance, I’ve seen that there is hope. Communities across the country have developed strategies that work, and with a few adaptations, we can be thought partners in bringing them into other communities. The presentation was built around five lessons that kept surfacing in that work: healing begins with trust, communities already hold the wisdom to heal, familias heal in relationship, healing is shaped by context, and advocates heal in community too.

What I valued most about facilitating was the chance to invite reflection rather than simply deliver content. Asking participants where they assume healing begins, whether in our offices and shelters or long before someone walks through our doors, set the tone for the whole session. I also loved ending on joy. Advocates have taught me that laughter, music, celebration, and peer support aren’t separate from this work. They’re part of how we stay in it.