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We keep telling people to ask for help. But what happens after they finally ask? What happens when a family cannot afford an evaluation for their child, is placed on a waiting list for months, or cannot find a therapist who understands their language, culture, or lived experience? And what happens to the therapist trying to hold all of it? Madeline Maldonado, LCSW-R, has spent 26 years working on every side of that reality. The daughter of Dominican immigrants, Madeline grew up in Washington Heights watching her father run a neighborhood bodega where he gave families credit, sold three eggs when someone could not afford a dozen, and taught her to talk to everybody. She calls her parents “social workers in action without degrees.” Madeline planned to become an engineer until an internship supervisor told her that people were her thing. Volunteering with patients in Bellevue Hospital’s HIV/AIDS unit helped her recognize her calling. In this conversation, Madeline and I discuss why temporary mental health funding disappears after a crisis, why stigma and mistrust keep many Black and Latino families from care, what it costs to become a therapist of color, and why experienced clinicians are burning out. Madeline also shares the story behind the Minette Foundation, which helps fund affordable therapy, autism evaluations, essential resources, and practical support for families who might otherwise go without help. Sometimes supporting someone’s mental health begins with therapy. Sometimes it begins with diapers, food, rent assistance, or helping them make it through one difficult week. As Madeline reminds us, “We’re not meant to do life alone as human beings. We need each other. And healing happens in community.” CONTENT NOTE This episode includes brief discussion of suicide, self-harm, substance use, and trauma. If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or a mental health crisis in the United States, call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org. IN THIS EPISODE • The bodega lessons that shaped Madeline’s work • Why she left engineering for social work • How crises changed who needs mental health care • Why cost, insurance, waitlists, language, and mistrust keep families from care • Barriers facing future therapists of color • Therapist burnout and community-based care • The mission and immediate needs of the Minette Foundation CHAPTERS 00:00 The work of the Minette Foundation 03:35 Welcome and introduction 06:24 Growing up in Washington Heights 08:44 Her father’s bodega and community care 10:37 Credit, three eggs, and the honor system 12:32 From engineering to “people are your thing” 14:10 Finding her calling at Bellevue Hospital 15:26 Being underestimated during her training 16:24 The $45,000 salary story 18:38 Rent parties, identity, and New York pride 20:56 Independence and taking the subway at 14 24:41 Street smarts as her clinical “secret sauce” 26:28 How mental health care has changed 32:25 Why emergency funding is not enough 33:59 Children in crisis and an unsafe world 35:56 Stigma, mistrust, and representation 39:08 Therapy costs, deductibles, and waitlists 41:16 Barriers to becoming a therapist of color 45:54 Therapist burnout and insurance rates 48:59 Diapers, rent assistance, and practical care 51:57 The mission trip that inspired the Foundation 54:41 “This is your community. You do it.” 55:17 What the Minette Foundation needs now 57:36 How to connect and support the mission 59:43 Sponsors, funding, and introductions 1:02:11 “Healing happens in community” 1:04:15 Closing reflection ABOUT MADELINE Madeline Maldonado, LCSW-R, is a bilingual clinical social worker, educator, and mental health advocate with 26 years of experience. She is President and Founder of Madeline Maldonado LCSW Consulting P.C., Chief Clinical Officer and Co-Founder of Minette LCSW Psychotherapy Services PLLC, and Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Minette Foundation. CONNECT WITH MADELINE Minette Foundation: https://www.minettefoundation.org Minette LCSW Psychotherapy Services: https://www.minettepsychotherapy.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madelinemaldonado_lcsw/ ABOUT ELEVATE WITHIN Elevate Within is a podcast and conversation platform for high-achieving women navigating burnout, anxiety, grief, identity changes, leadership, and reinvention. We connect what women are experiencing personally with how it affects their wellbeing, work, relationships, and leadership. CONNECT WITH ELEVATE WITHIN Substack: https://substack.com/@elevatewithin Website: https://elevateopsadvisory.com Leadership Advisory by Elevate Within sandy@elevateopsadvisory.com Like, subscribe, and leave a comment telling us what part of Madeline’s message connected with you. And if no one told you they loved you today, I love you. #MentalHealthAccess #CulturallyResponsiveCare #TherapistBurnout #CommunityHealing #ElevateWithin