Importing makeMockModels yields error that .sequelizerc can not be found

gistfile1.txt

error:  message=Could not find file: '/api/backend/.sequelizerc'., stack=Error: Could not find file: '/api/backend/.sequelizerc'.
    at getValidSourceFile (/api/backend/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:118487:23)
    at Object.getEmitOutput (/api/backend/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:118849:30)
    at getOutput (/api/backend/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:352:30)
    at Object.compile (/api/backend/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:393:11)
    at Module.m._compile (/api/backend/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:439:43)
    at Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:712:10)
    at Object.require.extensions.(anonymous function) [as .js] (/api/backend/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:442:12)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:600:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:539:12)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:531:3)
    at Module.require (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:637:17)
    at require (internal/modules/cjs/helpers.js:22:18)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/api/backend/node_modules/sequelize-test-helpers/src/mockModels.js:11:17)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:701:30)
    at Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:712:10)
    at Object.require.extensions.(anonymous function) [as .js] (/api/backend/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:431:14)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:600:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:539:12)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:531:3)
    at Module.require (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:637:17)
    at require (internal/modules/cjs/helpers.js:22:18)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/api/backend/node_modules/sequelize-test-helpers/src/index.js:9:40)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:701:30)
    at Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:712:10)
    at Object.require.extensions.(anonymous function) [as .js] (/api/backend/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:431:14)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:600:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:539:12)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:531:3)
    at Module.require (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:637:17)
    at require (internal/modules/cjs/helpers.js:22:18)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/api/backend/src/controller/user/user.service.spec.ts:12:1)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:701:30)
    at Module.m._compile (/api/backend/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:439:23)
    at Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:712:10)
    at Object.require.extensions.(anonymous function) [as .ts] (/api/backend/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:442:12)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:600:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:539:12)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:531:3)
    at Module.require (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:637:17)
    at require (internal/modules/cjs/helpers.js:22:18)
    at /api/backend/node_modules/mocha/lib/mocha.js:330:36
    at Array.forEach (<anonymous>)
    at Mocha.loadFiles (/api/backend/node_modules/mocha/lib/mocha.js:327:14)
    at Mocha.run (/api/backend/node_modules/mocha/lib/mocha.js:804:10)
    at Object.exports.singleRun (/api/backend/node_modules/mocha/lib/cli/run-helpers.js:207:16)
    at exports.runMocha (/api/backend/node_modules/mocha/lib/cli/run-helpers.js:300:13)
    at Object.exports.handler.argv [as handler] (/api/backend/node_modules/mocha/lib/cli/run.js:296:3)
    at Object.runCommand (/api/backend/node_modules/mocha/node_modules/yargs/lib/command.js:242:26)
    at Object.parseArgs [as _parseArgs] (/api/backend/node_modules/mocha/node_modules/yargs/yargs.js:1087:28)
    at Object.parse (/api/backend/node_modules/mocha/node_modules/yargs/yargs.js:566:25)
    at Object.exports.main (/api/backend/node_modules/mocha/lib/cli/cli.js:63:6)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/api/backend/node_modules/mocha/bin/_mocha:10:23)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:701:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:712:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:600:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:539:12)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:531:3)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:754:12)
    at startup (internal/bootstrap/node.js:283:19)
    at bootstrapNodeJSCore (internal/bootstrap/node.js:622:3)