Healing Together: Advocating for Community Mental Health Through Restorative Circles in Low-Income Latine and Pre-Columbian Indigenous Immigrant Communities

Abstract: Low-income immigrant communities experience significant trauma and structural health inequities, particularly in mental health access, quality of care, and outcomes. This study evaluates the effects of restorative circles as a community-driven intervention for psychological trauma among low-income Latine and Pre-Columbian Indigenous immigrants in rural California. We conducted three focus groups (N=34), each representing a distinct immigrant community. Findings revealed diverse, community-specific challenges: Relocated immigrants (n=14) reported post-COVID-19 trauma, economic precarity, and the psychological toll of undocumented status. Farmworkers (n=10) identified school violence and substance abuse as key concerns. The Purépecha community (n=10), a Pre-Columbian Indigenous group, highlighted suicidality, mental health stigma, and severe resource scarcity. Across all groups, participants described discrimination and school-based bullying as persistent issues. These findings emphasize the urgent need for culturally responsive, community-based mental health interventions co-developed with rural immigrant populations.