A Scalable Model For Improved Consumer Engagement: The El Futuro Case Study

A Scalable Model For Improved Consumer Engagement: The El Futuro Case Study

Despite expanded access to behavioral health services, many provider organizations and health plans continue to struggle with low engagement, poor retention, and inconsistent outcomes among underserved populations. Traditional clinic-based and referral-driven models often fail to address barriers related to trust, cultural responsiveness, and timely access to care, contributing to higher acuity and greater utilization of high-cost services. 

In this one-hour live presentation, Maria Jones, Director of Client Care and Engagement, and Luke Smith, M.D., Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of El Futuro, Inc., will share how their organization implemented the Strong Minds, Strong Communities (SMSC) model, a scalable approach to improving engagement, retention, and clinical outcomes among Latino populations. 

The SMSC model combines community-based outreach, culturally responsive services, and bilingual clinical care to strengthen access, build trust, and improve continuity of care. The speakers will discuss how this approach has helped El Futuro engage consumers earlier in the treatment journey while supporting long-term organizational sustainability. 

What This Case Study Explores

• The operational components of the SMSC model, including workforce design, community partnerships, and workflows that support earlier identification and sustained engagement in care 
• Performance measures associated with the model, including engagement, retention, and clinical outcomes, and how these metrics align with value-based care priorities, quality performance, and total cost of care 
• Implementation and scaling considerations for sustaining community-based behavioral health models beyond pilot funding 

What Executive Attendees Will Learn 

• How to analyze the limitations of traditional behavioral health delivery models in engaging underserved populations and their impact on cost and quality performance 
• How to examine the core components of a structured engagement and care model designed to improve access, retention, and clinical outcomes in Latino communities 
• Implementation and scaling considerations for integrating community-based behavioral health models into value-based care strategies

Featured Speakers

Maria Jones

Director of Client Care & Engagement, El Futuro

Maria Jones is Director of Client Care and Engagement at El Futuro, a leading Latino-serving behavioral health organization in North Carolina. She oversees community-based programs that expand access to culturally responsive mental health services through prevention, early intervention, peer support, care navigation, and community outreach. With more than 20 years of experience in community engagement and human services, Maria helps lead the implementation, growth, and evaluation of Mentes Fuertes (Strong Minds, Strong Communities), El Futuro’s Community Mental Health Worker model. A Mexican immigrant, graduate of the National Hispanic and Latino Executive Leadership Fellowship Program, and member of the North Carolina Governor’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs, she is committed to improving behavioral health access and outcomes for underserved communities.

Luke Smith, M.D.

Executive Director, El Futuro

Luke Smith, MD is a practicing Spanish-bilingual psychiatrist and the Executive Director at El Futuro, a community-based nonprofit organization that seeks to transform mental health care for the Latino community of North Carolina and beyond. He completed board certification in Child/Adolescent and General Psychiatry. El Futuro provides bilingual therapy, psychiatry, case management, substance use treatment, and other mental health services in a welcoming environment of healing and hope. Now in its 21st year, El Futuro serves more than 3,000 individuals each year with clinics in Durham and Siler City, drawing people from 66 North Carolina Counties. El Futuro is a training site for resident physicians, medical students, social work students, psychology interns and other graduate-level students who come for year-long experiences.