His areas of research are in Latino older adults, cultural factors in mental health services, mental health literacy, and organizational factors relating to service delivery. His long-term work aims to integrate community mental health literacy and services into community spaces where older adults, particularly Latino groups, naturally gather. He would like to develop a link between disconnected systems of care using technology and other available resources. Dr. Vélez Ortiz has a deep commitment to an applied focus in his research, where he has advanced knowledge with an emphasis on improving the lives of Latinos and other minorities across different age groups.