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Welcome to Finding Hope in America

When we started this project, we had no idea about the structural barriers faced by Hispanic/Latino communities struggling with substance use disorder in the United States. We have lived experience with addiction and treatment, but never imagined the size and scope of the barriers faced by Hispanic community members who seek help. 

The community navigates bicultural and multicultural identities, faces intergenerational and intercultural differences within households, copes with language barriers, and manages trauma and stress related to migration and discrimination (source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) - all on top of the difficulty of trying to overcome addiction. Hispanics/Latinos are less likely to enter or complete treatment than almost any other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. 

Through story-telling, Finding Hope in America documents the challenges faced by the Hispanic/Latino community. We join a brave group of men and women who tell their stories and highlight the barriers they overcame to find healing. We are proud to share their voices with you and bring this issue to light.

Please support us with a tax-deductible donation to complete Finding Hope in America. We are nearing completion of production and need to raise $75,000 to recover our equipment and production costs, finalize the film and embark on distribution. 

We appreciate your support.

 

Watch the Trailer


 

Our Current Progress

We are nearing completion of production, with a few remaining important tasks remaining - color grading, audio and video clean-up, and subtitle corrections. Once we complete these production tasks, we will embark on distribution. We are in the process of scheduling local screenings (to bring the message to the Hispanic community in our area) and applying to film festivals, where we hope to add to the public dialogue around this important issue. 

 

Our Goal

We hope to raise $75,000 to recover our equipment and production costs, finalize the film (see above) and fund distribution expenses (screenings, film festivals, travel). 
 
 

 
All donations are Tax-Deductible through our Fiscal Sponsorship with From the Heart Productions, a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization.
 

Donation Incentives


 

 
 

Synopsis

Martin came from Mexico with a dream of a better life; he ended up homeless, living in a hole he dug in the ground. Eduardo emigrated from Mexico as a child; from a young age, he felt like an outsider in his new home. Oswaldo feared insanity; his addiction took him right to the edge -- and then over.
 
All three men, and the women who love them, find their way to a community where healing becomes possible.
 
Finding Hope in America takes us on a journey through the nightmare of addiction, seen through the eyes of a group of men and women. They openly share the struggle to find treatment that recognizes their language and culture. They illustrate the importance of family in the healing process. They convey the courage it takes to overcome addiction – revealing the community that ultimately saves their lives.
 

Production Stills 



Meet The Team

DYLAN JOHNSTON, DIRECTOR
is an emerging filmmaker in the San Francisco Bay Area. He holds a BA in Film & Media from the University of California, Berkeley (anticipated Spring 2023). His student autobiographical film Empty Pockets, a documentary short, was screened at the Mixology Program Film Festival and was an official selection at the Hudson NY Shorts in 2021. A life-long passion for film, writing and photography remained a hobby until addiction, homelessness and purposelessness brought him to death’s door. Tempered by this journey into and through the 'dark night of the soul', he discovered an indomitable need to live out his dreams. After starting a non-profit to help others escape their own dark night, he decided to pursue his passion, which led to the co-founding of ShadowPower Productions.

 

DARLENE DEROSE, PRODUCER
is a teacher, public speaker, group facilitator, and emerging producer in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a master’s degree from Yale University, and a master’s degree from John F. Kennedy University (now National University) where she earned her Certificate in Ecotherapy. As a certified ecotherapist, she brings nature-based activities and earth-based rituals to individuals in recovery from addiction. For over a decade, she has been a vocal advocate for the importance of working together in community and with the natural world to support personal and planetary healing. She co-founded ShadowPower Productions.

 

TOM ASWAD, ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
is Co-Founder of Support4Recovery. A tireless advocate for the recovery community since he successfully completed residential treatment in 1991, Tom is committed to serving those who do not have a voice. He has served on committees and boards at national, state, county and local levels, addressing a broad array of issues in recovery - homelessness, adolescent treatment, needle exchanges and treatment in prison. His current focus on improving the ability of the Hispanic community to find culturally appropriate treatment follows a long history of serving as a change agent.

 

PABLO MARTINEZ, ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
is a tireless advocate for the Spanish-speaking recovery community and for improved access to treatment. Born in Mexico, Pablo has not only lived, but overcome the structural impediments Hispanics face in seeking treatment for addiction, including personal, social and structural barriers. Pablo is a former counselor at Pueblos del Sol, the only Spanish-speaking detox facility in Contra Costa County. He now leads Support4Recovery’s effort to help bolster the movement advocating for treatment expansion in the hispanic community.

 

TODD BANG, ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
is a retired and disabled General Contractor with 14 years of clean time. In his recovery, he has dedicated himself to ministry, focusing on the recovery and homeless communities. In his ministry, he has sponsored men in recovery, held officer positions in Narcotics Anonymous and worked with the homeless. He is the current President of Support4Recovery, a Contra Costa based non-profit celebrating the recovery movement and breaking down the stigma and discrimination associated with recovery. He is passionate about the need to support the Hispanic community overcome the barriers to seeking treatment.

 

Why This Film Is Important

In its 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Hispanics, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported that 13.5% of U.S. Hispanic adults ages 18+ had a substance use disorder. This equates to 5.7 million U.S. residents.
 
In Contra Costa County, where this film was made, we estimate that close to 40,000 individuals in our local Hispanic community are struggling. The County acknowledged, in its 2021-2022 Cultural Humility Plan Update, that the Hispanic community has historically been marginalized and excluded from the services available and that this racism and discrimination constitutes a public health crisis.
 
This crisis is not merely local – it is a national issue.
 
Compounding the magnitude of the problem, research on the national level reveals that there are significant barriers to entering treatment. In their paper, Understanding barriers to specialty substance abuse treatment among Latinos, Miguel Pinedoa, et al. report that “Latinos are less likely to use specialty substance abuse treatment (e.g., rehabilitation programs, in/out-patient services) than other racial/ethnic groups…. [and] Latinos largely avoided specialty treatment due to barriers stemming from cultural factors, perceived treatment efficacy, recovery goals, and perceived treatment need.” Local non-profit Support4Recovery conducted research revealing that the barriers identified by the Hispanic community include a lack of access to Spanish-speaking treatment facilities, outpatient programs, and aftercare; an inability to read and write both English and Spanish; and a need for matrix of support services – among them, immigration and legal assistance, employment opportunities and access to medical care.
 
Finding Hope in America seeks to change this. The men in our film share their journey from addiction to sobriety, and the path that led each to Pueblos del Sol. Pueblos del Sol, a Spanish-speaking treatment facility, represents a rare ray of light – where culturally appropriate treatment makes community possible.
 
We also seek to raise awareness of existing recovery services available in Spanish, as well as advocate for treatment expansion. Our goal is to create a movement to help individuals overcome the barriers to getting into treatment and portray what is possible through the difficult work of recovery.
 
 

Thank You For Your Support!

 
 
 

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