On a quiet rainy afternoon in Brooklyn, New York, I attend the weekly meeting of the Hispanic Consumer Leadership Group (HCLG) of 250 Baltic Street, an outpatient mental health clinic of South Beach Psychiatric Center in Staten Island. My first conversation was with the group's advisor, Hector Rosales, a social worker (LCSW) originally from Hatillo, Puerto Rico, and with Nicky Ramirez, MSW, his co-facilitator and a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

"The Hispanic Consumer Leadership Group," Hector Rosales explains, "has been operating for about two years. Our goal is to develop Latinos as leaders in the consumer movement at Baltic Street via presentations, lectures, event planning, and so forth. Employment is always a goal, of course, but that is a personalized individual thing. Many of the members of the HCLG are employed. Some have found their jobs through us and the other vocational programs of Baltic, like the career club. But the HCLG believes that recovery from mental illness encompasses the totality of the individual. It is your perception of yourself as a human being in all areas of your life, not a person who defines him or herself solely for his/her mental disability. You are more than just a person who has a disability. We have members who work in the community, artists, singers, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, people who are fulfilling a variety of roles in our society."

Working towards a culturally appropriate mental health model
The 250 Baltic Street clinic serves an approximate 400 consumers of mental health. Around two-hundred of those are Latinos. And fifty-percent of the Latinos served are mono-lingual Spanish speakers.

"Baltic Street has the Hispanic program for the whole hospital; it is run out of here," Hector Rosales continues. "And it is noteworthy to say that we are currently involved with a three year research project with the Latino population thanks to a federal grant from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) that aims to implement a culturally appropriate Family Psycho Educational Model geared to the cultural and social needs of Latinos."

Nicky Ramirez adds:  "I work together with Hector to motivate the consumers, trying to come up with ideas and empowering them to take individual initiative in the whole Latino consumer movement. All of the members bring different experiences, strengths and lots of individual talent."

Dynamics of the group
As I turn my attention to the members in attendance at today's HCLG meeting I am immediately struck by the humility and sincerity that they project as a group. This scene reminds me of my work, in the early 1980's, as a full-time missionary serving the Latin American immigrant population of the San Joaquin Valley in central California.

Doña Juanita, a Puerto Rican woman from the town of Hatillo who moved to New York 40 years ago, is the first to speak. She says, "I worked as a seamstress for many, many years. Today, I come to this group because I was ill with 'amnesia' and 'asthma' and the group helps me to focus in other things. I get to have friendships, I socialize, and I exchange ideas and opinions. And," she concludes, "I get to be out of my house by coming to the group."

The next to speak is Carmelo, a 23 year-old man from the D.F. in Mexico. "I've been in New York for four years now. I came to this country with the idea of 'salir adelante' both in work and in getting treatment for my illness of 'crisis nerviosa.'  There are good doctors here and good treatments. That was my main goal:  to recover. And today, thanks to God, I'm in recovery and have been working for many years. There weren't that many jobs in Mexico. For me, coming to the USA meant employment and recovery."

Carmelo is also one of the many Latino consumers who attend ESL classes at 250 Baltic Street. "From the Hispanic leadership group" he adds, "I get motivation to do things in life, to move ahead. I make friends, I meet people I can trust, and I participate in events. All to be able to 'seguir adelante'."

When the turn comes for Doña Gloria to speak, she happily points out that she comes to the meetings with Neris, a young nurse from Santo Domingo who accompanies her when she goes out of her house. Doña Gloria, a Puerto Rican woman from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, who came to New York in the 1950's, says, "I cannot go out of my house on my own because I get 'dizzy spells.'   Neris, my home attendant, comes with me when I go out. And here at 250 Baltic I am now motivated to attend ESL classes and I want to get into music classes because there are many musicians in my family and I want to learn to play the piano."

She continues by saying, "For many years I worked as a 'floor girl' in clothing and sewing factories. I was in charge of finishing things up. Today, I come to the Hispanic leadership group to do something with my life and to get "enseñanzas."  I also enjoy the conversations, the friendships and the activities. They are all very good to distract my mind from my illness which is 'nervous anxiety.'  I take medications for that and I also see a therapist and a doctor here at Baltic. The HCLG helps me to stay stable, and the "unidad' of the group has helped in my recovery. Nowadays," she concludes "I am very busy with the Hispanic Consumer Leadership Group."

Jennie, a photographer, painter and singer born in Brooklyn of Puerto Rican parents, is the last to speak. She says, "I've learned a lot in this group. How to cope, how to perform with others, how to talk and socialize, how to get together and organize events and activities. I like to be part of a community. And you learn that if something is bothering you, you mustn't be afraid to speak up to your leaders and treatment team."

Ultimate goals: supporting dignity and building respect
In conclusion, once the leaders-in-training have spoken, Hector Rosales points out, "Here we address the needs of the consumers at their own level. The point of the group is to develop leadership and engage our members in events and activities that are, of course, to their liking and interest. Respect and dignity is the name of the game here."

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