A khipú, by definition, is an ancient recording device composed of knots that Inca communities in Latin America used to communicate. Today, scholars are translating these ancient knots, trying to find their meaning.

In many ways, we resemble an actual khipú: intricately tied together by our shared cultural wealth, and at times like knot, knotted with barriers to care.

We are on a mission to expanding access to mental health care for diverse communities including low-income and Spanish-speaking. And access to care starts with information — it starts with accessible information in a language everyone can understand. This priority is Khipú focuses on synthesizing research findings and methodologies into our Research Briefs and Fact Sheets that are available in Spanish and English. We know that translating information and disseminating among community members is key but requires more. This understanding has led us to develop recommendations for policy-makers and stakeholders. We disseminate these recommendation at both the federal and state levels.

Our theory of change is simple: translating information and advocating for better mental health care — especially for Hispanics in the United States — is key. But the latter only works when both grassroots efforts are substantiated with policy engagement. This emphasis is especially why we engage both community members and stakeholders into our mission.