About Us

Description of Target Population

Describe the level of need for services in the community.

G’Z US Connects has been providing support and services to low-income, marginalized communities from diverse ethnic minority groups since its unofficial initiation in 2019. Our mental health services have been focused in the Carver County and Scott County areas; communities with both rural and suburban makeup with extreme service gaps generally, much less the gaps for non-white and culturally competent providers.

Our target population is children, youth, and families from Latinx, Black, Asian, and Native American communities of lower economic status, uninsured, and/or struggling with either mental health or substance use disorders.

Although both Carver County

And Scott County are considered among the healthiest counties in Minnesota,

It remains a homogeneous county. Scott and Carver are rapidly growing counties in Minnesota (Carver County grew by 17.4% and Scott County grew by 16.2% in the year 2021. Carver County has especially increased in diversity, in 2010 it was 88.3% white alone, and current census data show the trend changing, evidenced in 2020 data illustrating Carver County is now 85.5% white alone (SWMedia editor Maddie Debilzan Sep. 18, 2021). Despite growth in population and diversity, both Carver County and Scott County professional providers do not match the cultural or linguistic communities they serve.

While national research shows that 80%

Of mental health providers in the US are White (American Psychology Association), interviews with local social service workers describe an even more disparate rate, describing being unable to find therapists and relevant mentors of color within county borders. We were thrilled and confident in contracting with Marbigail Therapy Services LLC knowing their organization aligned with our vision and mission. Marbigail was established in 2016 and it is one of the only mental health providers offering bilingual and bicultural services in Scott County and Carver County areas that include mental health and medication management.

Better Health

Safe Environment

Digital Society

Better Education

No Poverty

Group or Groups of Individuals

Explain what group or groups of individuals will be targeted,

And outreach methods that will be used to effectively reach the target population.

Given that G’Z US Connects’ target population consists of people of color with little to no access to mental health care health and mentorship, Marbigail Therapy Services’ partnership to pilot two programs evidence such efforts for Spanish-speaking communities at the CAP Agency (focused on empowering people to achieve social and economic well-being) and a mental health support group for Spanish monolingual students at Shakopee High School and Middle School through the McKinney-Vento program (serving homeless youth).

This target population is critical not only in its vulnerability

But also in its fiscal relationship to public resources.

It is no surprise that our Latino communities are amongst the highest visiting populations in emergency departments for mental health-related services (Source). The uninsured rate in Minnesota is 5% and is more than four times higher for Hispanics (18%) in the state than for whites (4%). Minnesota Department of Health report from 20242 states that uninsurance is experienced at a much higher rate among Hispanic communities than among Minnesotans overall.