Dinys Luciano and Wendy Alba
Integrativa Online DVCN and Colectivo Salud Mental RD
As part of efforts to strengthen digital and hybrid mental health services, in June 2025, Colectivo Salud Mental of the Dominican Republic and Integrativa Online DVCN implemented a strategic training program for personnel responsible for psychosocial support and service coordination. This initiative reflects the shared commitment of both institutions to providing accessible, technically sound, and culturally relevant care for populations in situations of high vulnerability.
Strategic training for contextualized psychosocial care
The expansion of virtual mental health services demands new technical and ethical competencies. Training professionals in methodologies adapted to digital and hybrid environments has become a strategic priority. Remote care requires building meaningful therapeutic relationships at a distance, ensuring secure digital environments, integrating technological tools with in-person interventions, and effectively responding to the social and identity-based complexities of service users.
This training addressed these challenges using a practical, intersectional approach, equipping the technical team with concrete tools to implement high-quality multimodal care.
Core training components
A. Combined intervention modalities
The care model presented by Integrativa Online DVCN and Colectivo Salud Mental RD integrates three components: individual psychosocial support sessions, weekly psychoeducational messages via WhatsApp, and virtual support groups. This integrated approach has proven effective in reducing psychological distress, strengthening resilience, and promoting social reconnection, particularly among migrants, women experiencing violence, people with disabilities, youth, and LGBTIQ+ individuals. [1],[2],[3],[4]
B. User-centered service coordination
The training reinforced protocols for care and referrals, as well as the systematization of information for monitoring and evaluating results. The strategic role of service coordination was emphasized as a bridge between users and care providers, ensuring a safe, transparent, and sustained process. User feedback mechanisms were also addressed as essential inputs for the continuous improvement of service quality.
C. Cultural relevance and intersectionality
A key aspect of the training was the development of strategies to adapt interventions to specific cultural, historical, and social contexts. The program promoted therapeutic and psychosocial practices that acknowledge the multiple layers of inequality affecting users and that foster safe, collaborative, and affirming environments. The use of the CORE-10 Tool, adapted by population group, was also encouraged as an evaluation instrument sensitive to diversity and intersectionality (Gagliardi et al., 2021).[5]
Self-assessment of biases: A tool for professional reflection
One of the innovative components of the training was the application of a self-assessment tool to reflect on cultural biases in psychosocial practice. Through questions aimed at exploring personal beliefs, cultural expectations, barriers to access, and areas for improvement in service delivery, the exercise helped identify opportunities to strengthen cultural competence. This process fosters ethical and critical practice by reducing the negative effects of unconscious biases, such as distrust, revictimization, or the erasure of lived experiences, and reinforces a commitment to rights-based, equitable care (Athanasiou et al. 2022; Yıldırım et al. 2025). [6],[7]
Institutional commitment to sensitive, participatory, and effective care
This training represents a significant step toward consolidating a hybrid psychosocial care model in the Dominican Republic, aligned with international standards of quality, cultural relevance, and sustainability. The partnership between Integrativa Online DVCN and Colectivo Salud Mental RD strengthens a care network that centers people and communities, promoting empathetic, informed, and transformative support processes.
Furthermore, the support of American Jewish World Service (AJWS) has been instrumental in expanding this response to vulnerable populations, particularly human rights defenders, who often face situations of high emotional impact. Thanks to this support, it is possible to offer safe spaces for psychosocial support, which are essential for protecting their well-being and enabling the continuity of their advocacy work.
Transforming mental health care is not only about techniques; it requires strategic vision, critical reflection, and a strong ethical commitment to social justice.
Suggested APA citation: Luciano, D., & Alba, W. (2025, June 18). Innovation in mental health: Training to strengthen digital and hybrid psychosocial care models in the Dominican Republic. Integrativa Online DVCN and Colectivo Salud Mental RD.
Contact: Dinys Luciano (lucianod@integrativa-online.com), Wendy Alba (colectivosmrd@gmail.com)
[1] Fang, A., O’Connor, D. B., & Reid, M. (2023). What makes digital peer support effective? A qualitative analysis of supportive conversations on a mental health platform. JMIR Mental Health, 10, e38976. https://doi.org/10.2196/38976
[2] Purgato, M., Carswell, K., Acarturk, C., Au, T., Bartels, S. A., Bélizaire, M., … & Tol, W. A. (2021). Effectiveness of Self-Help Plus in preventing mental disorders in refugees and asylum seekers in Western Europe: A multinational randomized controlled trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 90(6), 403–414. https://doi.org/10.1159/000517034
[3] Schäfer, S. K., Hölzer, M., Sijbrandij, M., Brown, F. L., Cuijpers, P., & Morina, N. (2023). World Health Organization’s low-intensity psychosocial interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis of Problem Management Plus and Step-by-Step. World Psychiatry, 22(3), 449–462. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.21161
[4] Marchi, M., Bruschi, A., Miano, A., Bruni, M. T., & Ferrari, S. (2023). Post-traumatic stress disorder among LGBTQ+ people: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 32, e44. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796023000362
[5] Gagliardi, A., Hynie, M., & Rishworth, A. (2021). Mental health of forced migrants recently granted leave to remain in the UK: A longitudinal mixed‑methods study. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1234. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11234-x
[6] Athanasiou, E., Boukouvala, A., Stylianos, M., & Giannakopoulou, M. (2022). Self-assessment of health professionals’ cultural competence: Knowledge, skills and mental health concepts for optimal health care. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 11282. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192111282
[7] Lee, C., & Hernandez, M. (2023). Self-assessment tools for assessing cultural competency in clinical practice: A rapid review. Journal of Cultural Competence in Health Care, 13(2), 45–60.