Programa Latino

El Grupo de Apoyo Latino [Spanish]

Don’t know where to start? Email jzepeda@sfaf.org for more information or to receive regular updates.

Programa Latino Services | Upcoming Events
[At] Programa Latino I am able to talk about myself, I am helped with both my physical and mental health, but most of all, [it’s] a place where I am loved unconditionally.
FC Programa Latino member

Services & Community Events

Individual Services

The Programa Latino Individual Services convey HIV health and sexual risk reduction practices to non-acculturated and monolingual Spanish speakers regardless of their immigration status and who have difficult time navigating the labyrinthine systems of HIV care and prevention.

Drop-in hours for new participants are 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. If you have questions, please email jzepeda@sfaf.org.

Group Services

Group sessions are provided daily, and organized in two cycles during the year: The first cycle is from March to June and the second cycle is from September to December. Groups are designed to assist in the learning process of individuals who wish to become healthier in the spectrum of HIV health and migrants and immigrant communities. Friends and supportive allies are also welcome to join the group sessions.

El Grupo de Apoyo Latino

Our support group, El Grupo, has been a stable source of family and community for Latinos, Latinas and their families since the early 1980s. Join us for information about sexual health and harm reduction, meals and social support, and help finding health and social services.

Leadership Development

Programa Latino offers HIV health promoting trainings for community members who wish to become Promotores de Salud or Peer Health Educators. These trainings are organized several times a year and delivered in Spanish.

Community Mobilizing

Programa Latino is one of the co-founders and organizers of the Health Pavilions at San Francisco Carnaval, Gay Pride, Folsom Street Fair, and the Día de Los Muertos Fair. Community members or community-based organizations interested in planning, participating in, or providing services at these events can email us at jzepeda@sfaf.org.

Community Meetings and Activations

Programa Latino community advisory board meets weekly to provide input to our service delivery. Our events are successful because we engage community members to identify outreach opportunities that align with existing cultural ecology. In addition, Programa Latino co-leads meetings to organize and implement health promotion events with a process from and for the community that centers Latin immigrant and migrant communities culturally and linguistically.

Community Cultural Events

Programa Latino, in partnership with community members and community based organizations host Latin cultural events during the year.

Upcoming Events

View Calendar

Program Staff

Group Facilitators

Jorge Zepeda, LCSW, MSW

Director, Latine Health

Pronouns: He/him/his
415-487-8034
jzepeda@sfaf.org
Read Bio

Pronouns: He/him/his
415-487-8034 jzepeda@sfaf.org

Jorge Zepeda, LCSW, MSW

Director, Latine Health

Jorge Zepeda, MSW, LCSW, MPH is the Director of Latine Health, where he oversees individual, group, and outreach community support programs for Latine community members. Jorge has more than 30 years of experience in HIV, social work, and designing and implementing programs and services for Latine communities. Jorge is an Xicane immigrant whose primary language is Spanish. He joined SFAF to work the HIV information Hotline in 1992, was hired as a case worker in 1997, and has worked to address structural and systemic barriers that Spanish-speaking and Latine communities face ever since.

Jorge was born and raised in Puebla, Mexico, and migrated to the United States in 1989. As a Spanish-speaking Latino immigrant, he found navigating systems of care and support to be confusing and difficult. After becoming proficient in English, Jorge began volunteering at several community-based organizations where he learned to advocate for himself and fellow Latine community members.

Jorge is passionate about uncovering structural inequities and pushing for social justice. He is aware that Latine communities are affected by many social forces, including institutional racism and structural oppression, that affect the most vulnerable minority groups including immigrants and Indigenous people. He dedicates his expertise to building a more just community.

Jorge dedicates additional efforts to reach out to the communities who usually do not engage with services, including those who are unhoused, people who use drugs, and people who are undocumented immigrants. When Jorge is not working in the field and visiting homeless shelters or encampments, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Jorge is also passionate about dancing Salsa, Tango, and fixing any machinery crossing his path including pocket watches.

Adrian Vargas

Adrian Vargas

Health Educator, Latine Health

Program Director

Jorge Zepeda, LCSW, MSW

Pronouns: He/him/his

415-487-8034
jzepeda@sfaf.org

Jorge Zepeda is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 20 years of experience in program design, research and direct service to individuals with multiple diagnoses. Jorge has worked for San Francisco AIDS Foundation for more than 17 years as an advocate and service provider for Latinas and Latinos living with HIV or affected by HIV in issues related to financial benefits, housing, medical adherence, public policy, immigration and HIV, HIV treatment adherence, HIV and wellness and community building.

In addition, Jorge is member of Steering Committees for the National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, University of California Health Initiative of the Americas, Binational Health Week, Bay Area National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, Cruzando Fronteras, National Latino/Hispanic AIDS Network, Chicano-Latino-Indigena Health Equity San Francisco Task Force group, the Hispanic AIDS Action Network, and the Latino Connect.

Culturally, we are a diverse group with roots in many countries and parts of the world. Programa Latino gives people who may be separated from other friends and family a chance to come together in friendship and support.
Jorge Zepeda Programa Latino, Program Manager

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