Integrating Lotería and the CANS: A Creative Approach to Understanding Strengths and Needs3/25/2025  As we step into spring, a season of growth and renewal, we are excited to introduce a new series for the Alameda TCOM Collaborative that combines cultural creativity with practical tools: Lotería and the CANS. Through this series, we’ll explore how Lotería, the beloved Mexican game of chance, can serve as a metaphorical and visual framework to deepen our understanding of CANS items and enhance our practice. Lotería, Spanish for "lottery" and often compared to bingo, features a deck of beautifully illustrated cards, each symbolizing unique objects, people, or themes. These cards tell a story, inviting reflection and connection. In this series, we’ll use Lotería cards as jumping-off points to explore specific CANS items or domains, focusing on strengths, needs, and the ways we can support children, youth, and families. For this first post, we chose El Árbol (The Tree) to represent family strengths, an essential item in the CANS. Just as a tree thrives with strong roots, families often serve as the foundation for growth and resilience. The CANS assessment invites us to look at family strengths through a strength-based lens, highlighting areas of connection, support, and nurturing.
These questions can spark rich dialogue, connecting the visual symbolism of El Árbol (The Tree) with the practical application of identifying and building on family strengths during the CANS assessment process. Applying the Concept in PracticeIn a CANS session, El Árbol (The Tree) can also help individuals shift their focus toward identifying hidden strengths within families. For example, a family may appear to be struggling with communication, but deeper observation may reveal “roots” of resilience – strong traditions, cultural values, or a shared desire to improve relationships. Acknowledging these strengths allows us to cultivate them further, much like nurturing a tree. Looking AheadThe series will explore more Lotería cards and their connection to CANS items. Whether it’s La Campana (The Bell) and its connection to school-related items or El Sol (The Sun) and its focus on individual strengths, these posts will provide creative ways to approach the CANS while honoring the cultural richness of Lotería. Stay tuned for our next post, where we’ll continue to blend culture, creativity, and practical application. In the meantime, consider how you might use Lotería or other culturally meaningful frameworks in your work with families. We would love to hear from you about your experiences and other games that can be beneficial to include in our work with the CANS. Let’s grow together this spring – one card and one strength at a time! 
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Check out the SF BHS CYF T.I.P.s CANS page for tons of CANS resources out of San Francisco!San Francisco rolled out One CANS per Youth, which is a shared CANS concept. See their CANS Practice Guidelines and Use in Epic resource for more information. Their site includes CANS tools, engagement resources, CalAIM-informed care planning strategies, and data reflection guides. They also link to other helpful sites including our very own https://www.alamedatcom.org  Question 1: |
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