Katy’s Story

Roots Wellness Center’s journey began in 2013 when it commenced offering culturally responsive, in-home therapy with a strong advocacy focus on systemic change. The center was founded by Katy Armendariz, LICSW, a transracial adoptee whose personal experiences gave birth to the vision of this organization. Katy was determined to provide high-quality mental health services using a systemic framework, particularly within marginalized communities. Her mission included addressing the lack of social justice-oriented, decolonized, trauma-informed mental health and addiction services, and ensuring cultural representation among the providers. We are a grassroots organization dedicated to radical healing, unapologetically healing generational trauma and advocating for equitable treatment and care within systems.

Starting with just two part-time therapists, RWC brought psychotherapy into people’s homes, especially for those who lacked access to a traditional clinic due to mental, physical, financial, or transportation barriers. RWC is dedicated to breaking down these barriers, recognizing the inherent distrust often associated with outpatient clinics and traditional systems. The aim was to provide an alternative way to engage in therapeutic care, one that focuses on holistic health and decolonized wellness. By August 2015, RWC expanded its offerings to include Children’s Therapeutic Services and Supports (CTSS) and ARMHS services.

Our intensive outpatient program for substance use, with sober house support, addresses the root of people’s traumas in their bodies, providing somatic, culturally rooted approaches to healing. We challenge the concept of co-occurring disorders, viewing substance use as a symptom of mental health issues and an attempt to regulate the vagus nerve disrupted by trauma. Recognizing that trauma is stored in the body, we utilize somatic, culturally rooted modalities such as smudging, aromatherapy, massage, sound healing, reiki, yoga, meditation, and more.

In 2017, acknowledging that parental substance use is the primary reason for out-of-home placements, Roots introduced an outpatient treatment program with a harm-reduction, culturally specific, and trauma-informed approach. This was essential, as Katy wanted the Roots treatment to be distinct from the shame-based, punitive methods prevalent in most treatment settings due to her personal experiences within the addiction industrial complex.

During the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, RWC launched its digital navigation program to bridge the digital divide. In-home digital navigators taught essential digital skills, addressing digital inequities in communities.

In October 2022, RWC entered into a strategic partnership with Yale to initiate the first in-home treatment program for parents of infants struggling with substance use. Two teams of therapists and family support specialists are now providing intensive, attachment-focused, trauma-informed therapy in the home. This pilot program is dedicated to addressing disparities in the system, particularly concerning Black and Brown families.

As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, Roots Wellness Center stands firm in its identity as a holistic, trauma-centered mental health agency. We continue to expose trauma-inducing systems of oppression and embrace ancestral approaches to wellness, driving constant evolution to meet community needs. Through innovation and collaboration with like-minded organizations, we strive to serve everyone better, ensuring radical healing and liberation for all.