The Baltic Navigator

Baltic Navigator: 

Baltic Street Wellness Solutions is delighted to bring you the inaugural edition of our bi-monthly newsletter!

In the ever-changing landscape of the mental health field, our nonprofit organization remains at the forefront of high–quality person-centered support. Our peer-led programs continue to expand, broadening our reach to hundreds of individuals embarking on their wellness and recovery journeys. 

The Baltic Navigator is tailored to the many New Yorkers we serve, as well as our outstanding community partners who share our mission of providing unwavering advocacy and holistic support to eliminate barriers to mental health and social care. Each newsletter edition will showcase program announcements and events around our agency. We will also weigh in on any changes and developments that take place regarding pay equity and equitable retirement options for peer support workers who are so crucial to the mental health field. 

We’ll proudly spotlight the dedicated staff of Baltic Street Wellness Solutions who are at the heart of our mission to transform lives and increase health equity for underserved communities across New York City. The lived experiences of our staff and program participants inspire us every day, and we hope to inspire YOU with their stories of resilience, empowerment, and hope!

A Message from Our CEO   

Dear Friends,

June is Pride Month, an important time to advocate for essential resources for New York City’s LGBTQIA+ community. In these challenging times, Baltic Street Wellness Solutions remains committed, now more than ever, to providing a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers to uplift their voices, share stories, and embrace their self-expression.

I am so grateful to lead an incredible peer support team that exemplify the values of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEI-A). Together, we firmly believe that every individual deserves to be seen, heard, and respected, regardless of their identities or backgrounds. These principles represent the core of our mission as we deliver person-centered, inclusive mental health and peer support services to the city’s most diverse communities.

Earlier this year, our passion and advocacy were out in full force, as I joined the Alliance for Rights and Recovery and hundreds of other peer support professionals at the Alliance’s 2025 Legislative Day in Albany. Together, we stood on the steps of The “Million Dollar Staircase” in the State Capital building, where we advocated for increased funding of Bridger and INSET services and a well-deserved cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for the peer workforce to enhance our pension benefits and financial security. We proudly advocated for the enactment of Daniel’s Law, a much-needed solution to New York’s crisis response system, using trained crisis professionals and peer support workers (rather than police officers) to deliver consent-based, compassionate care to people experiencing severe mental health concerns. With increased support from lawmakers, our peer workforce can transform more lives by providing crucial lived experience to support vulnerable individuals, offering hope, guidance, and a meaningful solution to forced institutionalization, which so many New Yorkers have unfortunately endured.

A heartfelt thank you to several members of my amazing team who joined me in Albany to raise our voice and rally for change including: Chief Strategy Officers Mark Clarke and Modupe Mujota; Adult Home Initiative (AHI) Director and Joanne Forbes Foundation Chief Marketing & Development Officer Christopher Rogers; and INSET Administrative Assistant & Community Resource Specialist Alvin Rodriguez, Jr.

As we continue to advocate for greater awareness and change, I invite you to review our 2024 Impact Report, on our website. Formerly known as our Annual Report, the Impact Report is designed to change the way we communicate outcomes to the community. In an attempt to fully capture the important work that we do, we will shine a light on our efforts to enhance the mental health and wellness of community members.

You will have the opportunity to read powerful testimonials about how our services impact the lives of those who participate in our programs. Prepare to be inspired by remarkable journeys on the road to recovery. This month and every month, let us all work together to ensure the continuation of vital support that helps our programs and participants to thrive. By walking-the-talk and steering impactful discussions, we can truly educate, inform, and support others across this ever-changing mental health landscape.

Sincerely,

Taina Martinez-Laing

CEO

Baltic Street Wellness Solutions

AROUND THE AGENCY – Raising Our Voices: From Albany to Manhattan

In March, Baltic Street Wellness Solutions passionately advocated for key initiatives and increased funding for effective mental health programs ahead of the annual state budget process.

Two busloads of Baltic Street leaders, staff members, volunteers, and participants joined hundreds of stakeholders from multiple agencies at the Alliance for Rights and Recovery’s 28th Annual Legislative Day on March 4 in Albany. Legislative Day activities included a rally, a press conference about alternatives to coercive mental health treatment, and meetings with state legislators.

Baltic Street’s legislative priorities included:

Treatment Not Jail (TNJ): Advancing alternatives to incarceration for individuals with mental health and substance use concerns.

Daniel’s Law: Reforming crisis response with health professionals leading interventions instead of law enforcement.

Solutions-Based Programming Presentations: Highlighting effective person-centered alternatives to coercive inpatient and assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) orders.

7.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for our peer workforce.

Increased support for INSET (Intensive & Sustained Engagement Teams), a voluntary peer-operated outreach and support innovation created in New York State in 2018. Baltic Street continues to operate the only INSET program in New York City, voluntarily engaging and supporting people with significant mental health needs and histories of repeated hospitalizations who may meet the criteria for coercive Kendra’s Law-related court orders (AOT).<brMore funding is needed for INSET programs, both at Baltic and throughout the city and state. Currently, there are 1,643 individuals in New York City who are under AOT orders. In addition, there are many more people who fit the criteria for these orders. We have a waiting list for our INSET services, as we are the only INSET program in the five boroughs, and our five certified peers are not enough to meet the demand.

Providing participants with persistent, empathetic engagement and sustained involvement in trusted and reliable relationships with peers having similar histories, INSET encourages recovery by increasing personal agency, self-determination, and shared decision-making. INSET has also been proven to reduce hospitalizations, incarcerations, and homelessness.

We were proud to be among the about 400 advocates who attended Legislative Day. A week later, the advocacy continued as the INSET team members joined Baltic Street Chief Strategy Officer Mark Clarke for a follow-up press
conference in Albany.

Closer to home, the dedicated INSET team attended the “Peers Not Police” rally at City Hall on March 24, led by Correct Crisis Intervention Today (CCIT). As one team member commented, “So many individuals are wrongfully jailed because of their mental health diagnoses. Instead of receiving the help they need, they’re being punished for it. As a voice for the underdogs, we acknowledge that many of us needed someone to help us navigate systems at some point. So why not give back to the communities that helped us?”

A DAY OF COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS AND EMPOWERMENT

Baltic Street Wellness Solutions was proud to be among an array of sponsors at the inaugural Community Resource Fair presented by the Joanne Forbes Foundation on March 28. The Foundation, named after our founding Board Member and one of the pioneers in the peer advocacy and mental health/substance use recovery space, aims to break down barriers to care by bridging significant gaps in the delivery of community-based resources.

The free event, held at our Isaac Brown Healing Arts & Community Center, brought together resource partners, advocacy groups, and service providers including Healthfirst, Oak Street Health, and Liberty Dental, with a shared mission of providing direct connections to resources and screenings to enhance participants’ health, wellbeing, and quality of life.

During the event, attendees had the opportunity to engage in massage therapy to reduce feelings of stress or anxiety, or to simply escape from life’s demands. Food First prepared hot meals for participants, and a successful clothing drive was held, comprised of new and gently used garments that were distributed to several members of the community.

Sponsors of the Community Resource Fair included Citi Bike, the United Way, RiseWell Community Services, Grandma’s Hands, and many more.

“It’s just amazing what we all accomplished in just a short amount of time,” said Christopher Rogers, Chief Marketing & Development Officer of the Joanne Forbes Foundation. “The call went out for a need, and people showed up to support the community.” Rogers pointed out, “There is no recovery, there is no healing, there is no connection, there is no sense of being, there is no way to center yourself without community.”

By offering Community Resource Fairs multiple times per year, the Foundation is striving to build hope to keep people leaning forward. Rogers added, “In this time of uncertainly, it’s more critical than ever to keep people connected to behavioral health and community services, and to each other.

With the support of wonderful partners like Baltic Street Wellness Solutions, the Joanne Forbes Foundation is committed to promoting health equity and creating greater awareness of essential services to guide vulnerable New Yorkers on a safer, healthier path towards wellness and recovery. Many thanks to everyone who attended and sponsored our Community Resource Fair. We hope to see you at the next one!”

Employee Spotlight: Alvin Rodriguez, Jr., 24/7 Peer Advocate

Alvin Rodriguez may be a part-time employee at Baltic Street Wellness Solutions, but with his frequent accessibility and willingness to go above and beyond, you would probably never know it.

Compassion was a personality trait instilled in Alvin at a young age while growing up in Brownsville and Flatbush. While attending junior high in Flatbush, he came to the aid of a classmate who was bullied because of his appearance. Alvin didn’t hesitate to bring him home and help him pick out new shirts and pants to wear.

He credits his late father for teaching him respect for those who are less fortunate. While battling his own substance use challenges, Alvin’s father empathized with community members struggling with similar addictions. After Mr. Rodriguez, Sr. sadly succumbed to cirrhosis, many of those community members proudly attended his funeral – with help from Alvin.

“I offered them my hat and shirt to wear and escorted them to my father’s casket so they could have a moment of silence with my Dad. He was instrumental in helping them, so I wanted to help them, too,” Alvin explained.

As the Administrative Assistant and Community Resource Specialist of Baltic Street’s Intensive & Sustained Engagement Teams (INSET) program, Alvin’s mission is the same: to make a difference and to shine a light on important causes impacting individuals across all regions. Raising awareness about INSET, a New York State program launched at Baltic Street last year, is at the top of his list. The voluntary, peer-operated outreach program helps to support people with a severe mental health diagnosis and a history of hospitalizations and incarcerations who may be eligible for or already on court-ordered Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT).

You’ll often find Alvin tabling and networking (even on his own time) at community events across the five boroughs. He was also instrumental to INSET’s successful ribbon-cutting last November where he seamlessly oversaw logistics. For Alvin, the work is personal. “I was incarcerated,” he said openly. “I was sentenced to 20 years to life for second-degree murder.” Alvin was at the wrong place at the wrong time during that June night in 2002, when he was involved in an altercation with alleged gang members. One of the men reached for his gun. Alvin acted and the man lost his life. Alvin served time for almost 20 years but remained resilient thanks to the thick skin he developed at a young age. He recalled, “I was shot at the age of 15 when a bullet ricocheted off a pole on my block in Flatbush.

I remember seeing a lot of violence when I was a kid in Brownsville, but I’ve never let these things change my character.” True to his principles, Alvin decided to make the best of his situation while incarcerated. He became a sign language interpreter for deaf inmates, a role he held for 12 years. For 14 years, Alvin volunteered as a facilitator for individuals with HIV and hepatitis, part of the Prisoners for AIDS Counseling and Education (PACE) program. He credits his experience organizing World AIDS Day events for the expertise he exhibits while overseeing logistics at Baltic Street. Alvin enrolled at Columbia-Greene Community College through the Hudson Link Program to resume his academic studies, which he had begun as a student at Kingsborough Community College prior to his arrest.

He also worked in the law library and has read more than 1,000 books. One book that truly changed his life was “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” which he started reading before his incarceration. Alvin ultimately converted to Islam and began embracing peer work. “Other inmates knocked on my wall needing someone to talk to, and I was there for them,” Alvin said. He wound up being released from prison six months early on good behavior, thanks to his strength, dedication, and his commitment to impact others.

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