History of Hispanic Counseling Center

HCC was originally established in 1977 by the Nassau County Department of Drug and Alcohol Addiction to provide substance abuse treatment services to the County’s growing Latino population. The agency has grown over the years, adding programs to respond to the community’s most urgent needs.

Youth programs, funded by the Nassau County Youth Board, were added in 1979 to provide prevention, education, and counseling for young people and their families with limited fluency in English. An after-school homework help and tutoring program was opened in 1989 for school age children and a six-week summer camp program opened in 1987. ESL classes for adults were added in 1986, followed by Spanish literacy classes and vocational and computer classes.

In 1986 HCC received a license from New York State to become Nassau County’s first bilingual, bicultural alcohol/drug rehabilitation clinic. Having achieved this goal, and deeply aware of the tremendous need for Mental Health services in the clients’ native language, the agency persuaded the Nassau County Commissioner of Mental Health to grant HCC a Mental Health License in 1992. HCC became and remains the first and only agency to provide mental health services in a completely bilingual/bicultural environment. A Supported Housing Program for mentally ill clients was begun in 1993. Mental Health services for people with HIV/AIDS have been offered since 2001. In 1995 a Domestic Violence program was created in response to overwhelming demand by the legal system.

A Respite Program, the Children and Family Support Services Program, was begun in 1994 to offer help to families who have children with serious emotional problems. A Medicaid Service Coordination Program was opened in 1996 to serve individuals with developmental disabilities who waive the right to live in an institution and choose to live at home with their families. HCC began to provide supervised visitation for non-custodial parents in 1999, at the request of Family Court. In 2005, the agency received a license to operate a School Age Child Care Program and also opened its Teen Drop-In Center.

In 2007, HCC is opening two new programs for adolescents, children, and their families. The Adolescent Outpatient Pilot Program, funded by Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services will serve youth ages 12-18 that are using drugs and alcohol and are at-risk of placement in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. Through a grant from the Office of Children & Family Services, HCC will provide the Safe Alternatives for Family Enrichment (SAFE) Program, to serve children who are at risk of placement in the child welfare system and their families, and to expedite the family reunification process for youth and their families that are already involved.

HCC now serves over 1,200 clients a month through 12 programs, with a staff of 55, including two bilingual, bicultural psychiatrists. HCC reached a significant milestone and longtime dream in 2003, when it was able to purchase its own building and is now expanding to the building next door, in order to accommodate the growing demand for bilingual mental health services, services for seniors and primary health care. HCC continues to be a beacon of hope for families who have come to make a better life for themselves. Like those we serve, HCC has journeyed a long way, with hope and faith in its mission.