Affiliate Charter and Guidelines

NLBHA Affiliate Chartering Policy Statement

The National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA) Board of Directors establishes this chartering policy to ensure consistency, mission alignment, and support for organizations seeking to become NLBHA Affiliates. Affiliates are expected to uphold NLBHA’s values, mission, and commitment to behavioral health equity in Latino communities.

Purpose
Benefits
Charter Application
Policy and Procedures
Responsibilities
Current Affiliates
Purpose
Purpose
Benefits
Charter Application
Policy and Procedures
Responsibilities
Current Affiliates

Affiliate Charter Purpose

Mission Alignment:

  • Affiliates must demonstrate a commitment to NLBHA’s mission of promoting behavioral health equity for Latino populations. All activities and initiatives should align with NLBHA’s goals and priorities to enhance mental health outcomes for Latino communities nationwide.

National Latino Behavioral Juntos Network:

  • Affiliates become part of the NLBHA National Affiliate Network, a collaborative network of organizations dedicated to advancing behavioral health practices, sharing resources, and promoting policy initiatives aimed at improving mental health services for Latinos.

Independent Status and Operational Guidelines:

  • Affiliates maintain their separate, independent legal and operational status. They can also have a fiscal agent or if needed can seek NLBHA as a fiscal sponsor, as mutually agreed.
  • Affiliates voluntarily seek to collaborate with NLBHA and can enter into unique business agreements with NLBHA such as but not limited to contracts, Memorandum of Agreements/Understanding, Joint Revenue agreements, and other legally binding contracts that are in the financial or organizational interest of both parties.  Instances involving grant funding applications where the applicant, contractor or partnerships are specified to distinguish mutually agreed roles and responsibilities of each party.
  • Affiliates must sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to protect the confidentiality of proprietary information and materials shared by NLBHA.
  • Affiliates may be non-profit, public or private organizations intentionally committed to serving and advancing the wellbeing of Latino community.

Affiliate Benefits

Free and Discounted Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA):

  • Affiliates receive access to free and discounted T/TA offerings designed to build organizational capacity and improve behavioral health services tailored to Latino communities.

Free Access to the Juntos Network:

  • Affiliates are enrolled in NLBHA’s communication hub called Juntos Network, a platform for sharing best practices, T/TA opportunities, funding opportunities, conference and symposium registrations, research findings, and policy updates within the Latino behavioral health sector.
  • Receive NLBHA Newsletter electronically.
  • Receive Affiliate Seal from NLBHA and showcase the agency in NLBHA’s Affiliate directory.

Technical/Training Assistance Survey Needs Assessment:

  • NLBHA conducts needs assessments to identify gaps in targeted technical assistance and training or service delivery needs through surveys, interviews, focus groups or Affiliate meetings.  Affiliates may also be solicited to serve as a collaborator in data collection, analysis and publication where such opportunities are available.

Capacity Building Opportunities:

  • Affiliates are notified of capacity-building opportunities, including grant writing workshops, organizational development seminars, and staff training programs focused on enhancing service delivery for Latino populations.
  • Access to free webinars on Latino Behavioral Health.
  • Participate in special convenings, summits and symposiums on selected topics.
  • Access to Latino behavioral health fact sheets.
  • Participate in NLBHA policy and program advocacy initiatives and campaigns.
  • Be informed of professional development or educational scholarship opportunities when available 
  • Become eligible for Affiliate mini grants for NLBHA sponsored events and convenings, when available.

National Advocacy Support:

  • Affiliates receive virtual support in advocating strategies in behavioral health policy development at the national level. NLBHA offers tools, resources, and strategic guidance to amplify advocacy efforts.
  • Affiliates were informed of federal opportunities for consideration to be nominated or submit their interests to serve on federal Boards and Commissions or other federal/state or national agency advisory boards.
  • Become a member of the NLBHA National Affiliate Network and opportunities to serve on NLBHA’s Affiliate Advisory Body.

Collaborative Funding Opportunities:

  • Affiliates may participate in collaborative funding opportunities where NLBHA and affiliates jointly apply for grants or funding initiatives that benefit the larger NLBHA National Network.

Letters of Support and Reference:

  • NLBHA provides affiliates with letters of support and reference for funding applications, advocacy efforts, or partnership development.

Discount Rates:

  • Affiliates are eligible for discounted rates to NLBHA’s annual conference, providing them opportunities to network, learn, and share knowledge with other organizations in the behavioral health sector.
  • Registration discount rates for NLBHA’s Leadership Academy
  • Sponsor, Exhibitor and Advertiser Discount rate at the NLBHA Annual Conference.
  • Reduced Job Advertisement rates on NLBHA website for job postings.

Co-Branding:

  • Affiliates can co-brand with NLBHA, using the association’s logo and branding guidelines for approved initiatives, events, and publications. This enhances credibility and visibility for the Affiliate organization.

Grant Reviewer/Grant opportunities:

  • Affiliates are referred to federal opportunities to become grant reviewers.
  • Become eligible for Affiliate mini grants for NLBHA sponsored events and convenings.
  • Receive notices on research opportunities on topics of interest.

Affiliate Charter Application

Application Process:

  • Interested organizations must complete an Affiliate application detailing their mission, objectives, and align with NLBHA’s mission, goals and strategic priorities. Applicants must submit necessary documentation demonstrating their commitment to behavioral health equity and Latino communities.
  • A one-time application fee is required upon submission. This fee supports the administrative costs of processing the application and conducting initial assessments.

Initial Application Fee

  • Purpose: A one-time Affiliate Application fee of $250.00 covers the administrative costs associated with processing new affiliate applications, management of Affiliate profiles.

Organization Annual Operating budget and Annual Affiliate Fee Structure (subject to annual review)

  • Tier 1: Small Organizations ($0 to $100K): Annual/Renewal Fee $250
  • Tier 2: Medium Organizations ($101K – $500K): Annual/Renewal Fee $500
  • Tier 3: Large Organizations ($501K – $999K): Annual/Renewal Fee $750
  • Tier 4: ($1 million – $1.5 million) Annual/Renewal Fee$1,000
  • Tier 5: Above $1.5 million – Annual/Renewal Fee $1,500
  • Rational: This tiered structure allows smaller, grassroots organizations to participate without a prohibitive cost, while larger organizations contribute more in line with their higher resource and established capacity.
Application Submission

Policy and Procedures for Affiliate Operations

Governance and Oversight:

  • Affiliates maintain their own independent governance structure, ensuring transparent decision-making processes and ethical standards.
  • Affiliates will have a designated point of contact for NLBHA communications and are expected to participate in periodic Affiliate Network meetings.

Data Sharing and Reporting:

  • Affiliates who participate in NLBHA collaborative projects, campaigns and collective impact opportunities will share program and outcome data as requested by NLBHA to contribute to the collective evaluation and advancement of behavioral health practices or policies.
  • Affiliates must comply with confidentiality guidelines and data security standards set by NLBHA.

Co-Branding and Logo Usage:

  • Affiliates must follow NLBHA’s co-branding guidelines when using the NLBHA logo or other branding intellectual property elements. Affiliates are required to obtain approval of co-brand materials to ensure alignment and consistency.

Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) Compliance:

  • Affiliates must actively demonstrate their participation in Affiliate T/TA activities to adhere to the Affiliate requirements such as T/TA organizational needs assessment conducted by NLBHA. Feedback from these assessments will be used to report and tailor T/TA support for affiliates.  Affiliates will receive Call for Proposals for the annual NLBHA conference for workshop opportunities.

Partnership Development:

  • Affiliates are encouraged to collaborate with other affiliates and organizations within the National Latino Behavioral Association Network to develop partnerships and joint initiatives that enhance service delivery and advocacy efforts.
  • Affiliates will be provided opportunities to participate in collaborative grant applications and joint funding proposals coordinated by NLBHA.

Optional Fee for Services

  • Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Packages: Tailored and customized support based on specific needs such as grant writing, strategic planning, or program evaluation can be offered and negotiated for more intensive TA & Capacity Building.
  • Access to Specialized Training Modules: Tailored and customized training on specific organizational needs such as grant writing, strategic planning, or program evaluation.
  • Affiliation Renewal Requirements:
    • Affiliates will provide an annual written report to highlight their accomplishments to promote and market the Affiliates successes that demonstrate their impact, achievements and contributions to Latino behavioral health, and their participation in network activities. This information will be used to spotlight Affiliates in NLBHA’s newsletter, conference program and other public relations and promotional opportunities.  Deadlines for submission are on the Affiliates anniversary date of Affiliation.

Responsibilities of Affiliates

Affiliated organizations agree to:

  1. Uphold the mission and values of the National Latino Behavioral Health Association.
  2. Participate in at least [1] joint initiatives annually.
  3. Share programmatic and outcome data to contribute to collective impact reporting.
  4. Collaborate on advocacy efforts to address systemic barriers in Latino behavioral health.
  5. Designate a liaison to facilitate communication with the National Latino Behavioral Health Association.
  6. Provide affiliates with relevant and up-to-date resources.

Governance and Decision-Making

  1. Affiliates shall operate independently and seek mutually beneficial organizational governance professional development or capacity building opportunities.
  2. A NLBHA Affiliate Advisory Council will be established, composed of representatives from affiliate organizations, to collaborate and recommend policy strategies, advocate for program, research and workforce development to effectively serve the Latino community.
  3. Certificates of Insurance will be required to ensure that active Affiliates and NLBHA name each party as co-insured for purposes of general liability coverage for both parties at the time of Affiliation.

Charter Review and Renewal

  1. The NLBHA Affiliate Charter will be reviewed annually to ensure alignment with organizational goals and community needs.
  2. Affiliates must submit an annual renewal application and updated organizational information on their anniversary date of affiliation to continue their active status.

Suspension or Termination of Affiliation

Affiliation may be suspended or terminated if:

  1. The Affiliate fails to meet its responsibilities outlined in the charter.
  2. There is evidence of misconduct or activities that conflict with NLBHA’s mission and values.
  3. Areas of disagreement or lack of compliance will be resolved to the mutual interest of both parties to resolve any conflictual matters that may arise.
  4. Where indicated, a written notice of suspension or termination is provided by NLBHA to Affiliates with a thirty (30) days’ notice.

Acknowledgment

Affiliates and NLBHA agree to the terms and conditions outlined above and commit to fostering collaboration to achieve shared goals.

Consejo Counseling & Referral Service

El Puente de Encuentros

Amistades, Inc.

National Eating Disorders Association