Cabrera, left; Valencia, right
Univision 40 honors two in DHHS for Latino outreach
Two DHHS employees who help Latinos connect with the services that they and their families need are back-to-back honorees in 2012 and 2013 for their contributions to the Latino population in North Carolina. Both received Spanish language television station Univision 40’s “Pride of our Community” (Orgullo de Nuestra Comunidad) award.
Univision annually recognizes outstanding Hispanic leaders in the community as part of its Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations in the fall.
Felipe Cabrera received the honor in October 2012. Cabrera is Latino outreach specialist for the division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. He has been employed at DHHS for 12 years.
Rogelio Valencia received the honor in October 2013. Valencia works in the Division of Social Services as Latino ombudsman and as privacy and repatriation coordinator. He also serves with the State Emergency Response Team operated by the N.C. Department of Public Safety to coordinate relief efforts and provide support to local and county governments.
The two use their native Spanish language and culture skills to help elevate Latinos’ awareness of services available to qualified adults and families, and to help Latinos connect to the services they need.
Cabrera visits Spanish-speaking consumers across the state to provide information and referral to assist them with accessing services they qualify for, and he provides outreach at many events such as health fairs and Hispanic festivals such as La Fiesta del Pueblo.
He also represents the Department and Latino people with disabilities on various committees such as the Alianza Latina Pro-Educacion en Salud (ALPES), an alliance of concerned community members and agency representatives committed to improving the health and quality of life for Latinos living in Wake County. He has also served on the Department’s Group Health Alliance and the N.C. Assistive Technology Program’s Grant Advisory Council.
Valencia has worked for DHHS for 14 years, collaborating with the Governor’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs, and with DHHS leaders particularly within DSS and the Divisions of Public Health, and Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services. He has helped to develop programs for Latino families and worked with agencies that serve the Latino community. He provides information to families and agencies about the human service programs that benefit families and children.
He also helps the DHHS Office of Communications with timely translations of press releases to Spanish for distribution to Hispanic print and broadcast outlets across the state.