Russ Urritia’s work has always been about giving back and lifting others up. A licensed clinical social worker and therapist, Russ is the owner, operator, and chief clinician of Adelante Familias, also known as Forward Families Denver, located in the heart of Denver. He sees patients of all backgrounds and walks of life and is always striving to eliminate barriers to care. Russ is fluent in Spanish, and his office, which is wheelchair accessible, is located near a bus stop and light rail station. To Russ, language and access are but a few barriers he erases for his clients.

Russ has made it his mission to provide professional, high-quality, culturally and linguistically inclusive family, individual, and couples therapy for Spanish speakers and for those culturally or uniquely different. As a seasoned, licensed mental health clinician, he strives to deliver therapy in a caring fashion. Though he specializes in treating the Latino community, his doors are open to anyone in need of services.

“I’ve always had a focus on issues of difference.”

The Latino communities in Colorado are different within themselves, Russ explains. “We have Latinos from Mexico, Latinos from Argentina, Chicanos who have been here born in the southwest, and we have those who have immigrated and who have had an acculturation experience themselves. So even when I sit with another Latino, there’s difference between us right there. Understanding that difference is important.”

Russ is an acculturated second-generation American himself who understands difference. In fact, he went back to Mexico to learn Spanish and understand the experience of living in another country as a foreigner. Russ has brought these experiences – and more importantly, the kindness he received in Mexico as a foreigner – into his work every day.  
 
But anyone with a difference can come to Russ for care. It could be a differently-abled person, someone who experiences racism or oppression, or who just feels that they are not part of the mainstream culture. Difference can also be due to gender or sexual orientation. Russ focuses on how the person can access power and resources, or not able to, and what barriers come up for them because of their difference. And then, he looks at how that affects the therapy, the goals, their sense of empowerment, and their identity.

“For Latinos, we are our families.”

Offering family therapy services is one of the biggest ways that Russ delivers on his mission to provide culturally-responsive care. In his experience working with people who are disenfranchised in some way from their community due to race, language, culture, or issues of difference, he has witnessed the importance of the family unit for both protection and care. That interdependence and the disenfranchisement associated with cultural, language, and access barriers drives Russ’ desire to provide couples and family therapy, so that the benefits are sustained overtime.

Family therapy sessions allow multiple generations to be present in a single session. It is often the preferred form of therapy for communities of color, and is especially important in Latino communities, where family units tend to be more interconnected and interdependent.

Family therapy also helps break down language and stigma barriers, increasing overall understanding of treatment plans and medication needs, and raising awareness of the importance of therapy overall. Unfortunately, family therapy is hard to come by. Aside from Russ, few private practices that accept Medicaid offer this service.
Part of Russ’ success, he says, is due to the strong relationship he has built with the provider relations team at Colorado Access, and the support and creative problem solving that they, and the company at large, have provided him over the years. Issues with coding, billing, and payment are always solved with a quick phone call and a conversation.

“It is because Colorado Access has the heart in the right place, that I choose to be a single provider for them only,” says Russ. “I can reach you when I need help. We are partners in getting the work done.”
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