She’s on a mission to improve BIPOC and LGBT mental health – fueled by Common Captial

(Springfield, MA) Mayrena Guerrero is on a mission. Not just to provide culturally competent mental health services, but to transform the local mental health system.  Guerrero is founder and CEO of Colorful Resilience, a mental health practice in West Springfield.

Colorful Resilience provides vital mental health services to the BIPOC, LGBT, first generation and immigrant communities in western Massachusetts and throughout the Bay State.  Services that, due to cultural barriers, have not be widely available. Guerrero’s strategy is to hire and train mental health providers from these communities – and to enlist Springfield’s Common Capital to fund that growth.

Common Capital loaned Colorful Resilience working capital to ensure they would have a strong start. But the funding is just part of the relationship with Common Capital.

“They work with you to make sure you’re successful,” says Guerrero. “They put in place whatever resources you need to achieve your success. They are so good with their communication, and clear with expectations. It was a very seamless, positive experience. Colorful Resilience exists because of Common Capital.”

Colorful Resilience is one of several local businesses highlighted in Common Capital’s recently released Annual Community Report. “When we met with Mayrena we were impressed by her passion, her vision and her readiness,” says Roberto Nieves of Common Capital. “Colorful Resilience will be a game-changer in expanding mental health options for LGBT and communities of color.”

Guerrero sees Colorful Resilience as more than a critical mental health provider serving and underserved community. She sees it as an essential tool to increasing representation in the mental health field.

“We’re nurturing our clinicians to go on to bigger and greater things like private practice to grow representation in the mental health field from clinicians in this community. I feel blessed to have Common Capital’s support in our business. Without them we would not be here.”
Learn more about Colorful Resilience here.  Learn more about Common Capital’s work with dozens of local businesses here, in their Annual Community Report.

Common Capital, a subsidiary of Way Finders, is a nonprofit community loan fund based in Springfield, Massachusetts. It provides loans and technical assistance to small businesses in the four counties of western Massachusetts that are unable to obtain a loan from a bank or other conventional source. Any small business in Western Massachusetts that needs help accessing capital can reach out to Common Capital at (413) 233-1680 or at commoncapitalma.org.