Board of Directors

Our History

Origins, Purpose, and Impact

Latinx Recovery Center Inc. is a bilingual educational organization that promotes health, recovery, and personal growth through professional education, focusing on The Latino community.

Leadership in Education and Service

The Future of Education

Origins

LatinX Recovery Center Inc. was born from a shared vision: to create an educational and community space where behavioral health, recovery, and professional training could intersect with the culture, language, and real-world needs of our communities.

Since its inception, LatinX Recovery Center has worked to expand access to continuing education—in both Spanish and English—for professionals serving individuals, families, and communities impacted by substance use, mental health issues, problem gambling, prevention, recovery, and other social challenges.

Our approach combines two essential dimensions: community service and professional education. We believe that training those who serve is also a direct way to strengthen communities. For this reason, every training session, resource, publication, partnership, and program seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice, ethics and action, and knowledge and the cultural realities of the people we serve.

Throughout our growth, LatinX Recovery Center Inc. has been supported by individuals who believed in this project from its very roots. Our Board of Directors and leadership team have guided the organization's development with unwavering commitment, vision, and institutional responsibility.

Leadership and Board of Directors

Xiomara Garcia

Early Childhood Specialist Teacher with a mention in mental retardation

President

Xiomara serves as President of the Board of Directors of LatinX Recovery Center Inc. Her role involves upholding the institutional vision, supporting strategic decision-making, and strengthening the entity's ethical and organizational direction. Through her leadership, she contributes to the organization's responsible growth and to the fulfillment of its educational and community-focused mission.

Maria Jose Matos

CADC-I/CRM I/PRCT II/PWS/PSS/CGRM
MHACBO Approved Education Provider

Co-founder – Executive Director

María José Matos serves as the Executive Director of LatinX Recovery Center Inc. Her role focuses on operational leadership, program development, institutional coordination, alliance building, and the organization's strategic planning. Through her leadership, she drives the expansion of training initiatives, educational resources, and community projects aimed at strengthening the behavioral health workforce.

Juan Pablos Villalobos

Approved Education Provider
NAADAC / MHACBO / NACATP / QPR

Co-founder - Continuing Educator - International Relations Advisor

Juan Pablo Villalobos García is a Co-founder of LatinX Recovery Center Inc. and has played an essential role in the organization's educational development. He serves as a Continuing Education Educator, creating training content and specialized resources for professionals in behavioral health, recovery, and community services. Currently, he also fulfills the role of International Relations Advisor, supporting the expansion of partnerships, connections, and educational opportunities beyond the local sphere.

Jordan Bergmann

Bachelors in Psychology, CHW

Chair

Jordan Bergmann serves on the Board of Directors of LatinX Recovery Center Inc. His role is to support the organization's institutional development, provide perspective on decision-making, and guide the growth of its educational and community-focused mission. As a Board member, he contributes to strengthening a diverse, ethical, and collaborative organizational structure.

Jose Teran

Science and Language Educator

Chair

José Terán serves as a member of the Board of Directors of LatinX Recovery Center Inc. His involvement provides strategic support, community engagement, and guidance for the organization's development. His role contributes to upholding the institution's core values of equity, service, responsibility, and access to culturally relevant education.

Our Approach

Community-Centered

LatinX Recovery Center Inc. recognizes that many Latino, rural, bilingual, and historically underrepresented communities face barriers to accessing culturally appropriate services, education, and resources. For this reason, our work is not limited to offering training; we seek to build bridges.

Through our programs, we strengthen the capacity of professionals who serve directly within communities—including counselors, recovery mentors, peer specialists, community workers, doulas, prevention staff, case navigators, and behavioral health providers.

Educational

Our educational model is grounded in practical, ethical, and culturally sensitive training. We develop programs designed to help professionals apply their knowledge in real-world settings, utilizing tools that enhance service quality and foster care that is more humane, informed, and responsible.

Our training areas include substance use, mental health, relapse prevention, motivational interviewing, professional ethics, documentation, peer support, problem gambling, case navigation, social justice, cultural competence, and community education.

Impact

LatinX Recovery Center Inc. has evolved from an initial vision into an organization delivering concrete results. As part of our educational and community projects, we have developed initiatives aimed at strengthening the behavioral health workforce in Oregon, particularly in rural and Spanish-speaking communities.

Development of educational projects focused on problem gambling and behavioral health in rural communities, such as Umatilla County.

Planning for up to 416 hours of training delivered in Spanish for behavioral health and community service workers.

A projected reach of approximately 255 trained workers.

An estimated generation of over 1,710 hours of continuing education (CEUs) through our training programs.

Training tailored to professionals such as CRMs, CGRM, PSS, PWS, CHW, QMhA, CADC, CGAC, doulas, and other community providers.

Development of bilingual educational materials, books, and training modules to reduce linguistic and cultural barriers.

Administration of community funds for educational projects focused on gambling, behavioral health, and rural communities.

LatinX Recovery Center Inc. is more than just an educational organization; it is a response to a community need. It is the result of individuals who believed in a purpose-driven project and decided to build a space where education, culture, recovery, and social justice could walk hand in hand.

Our story continues to grow with every training session, every partnership, every professional trained, and every community reached.