Brooklyn Peer Advocacy Project
Hello! I'm Isaac Brown and I am Director of Brooklyn Peer Advocacy Project.
Looking back on my own experiences with employment, I find it hard to believe that it was only seven years ago that I was struggling with my own vocational pursuits. Prior to that it was nearly impossible for me to believe that things could really change in my life. I wondered if it would ever be possible for me to return to work; to find a job that would be meaningful and productive and that would someday allow me to get off benefits and enjoy a quality of life that everyone around me seemed to be enjoying. The thought of going back to work was overwhelming and I did not know where to begin. I knew that the road to employment would be difficult and even more difficult when dealing with disability but I also knew that I was doing well, that I was feeling strong and capable and that with motivation, support and the grace of God, I could change my life around, a step at a time.
As I look back and reflect upon the path that has brought me to where I am today I realize that there were many factors that contributed to the success I now enjoy. I am most grateful that I am now able to share these with you and through my affiliation with the Baltic Street Mental Health Board, I am also in a position to offer you the same kinds of supports and services that were most helpful to me.
Over the past decade, consumers, families and professionals have worked very hard together to focus on employment as an essential right of every individual and, together, have had tremendous impact on helping people with disabilities to believe that they can work, that they do possess many valuable skills and that they can recover and return to live and enjoy productive lives in mainstream society. Many people with mental illness have been able to overcome personal and societal barriers and have begun to shatter the long-standing stereotypes and myths that impeded their own beliefs about the negative impact that serious mental illness could have on their ability to work and pursue careers.
I am delighted to see that progress has finally brought us to the point where going back to work or starting to work is no longer a far-fetched dream or fantasy. It can be a reality for anyone who is ready and motivated to pursue it. I can speak for myself when I say that getting back to work has played a key role in my recovery. It has also renewed my confidence in myself and in my abilities and it has had far reaching implications in all other areas of my life.
Employment is now a challenge and opportunity for us all. If you are at a place in your life where you are thinking about the possibility of starting or returning to work I would like you to know that the Baltic Street Mental Health Board can offer you a total array of services that can offer you all of the support and resources that you need and deserve to make employment a reality for you.
Through Network Plus, our supported employment program and the Baltic Bazaar, a community-based retail business that offers training in all segments of retail, we can help you find your way into the world of work. We understand that going back to work is work in itself and we are prepared and willing to be there with you every step of the way. We will all work together to provide you with all of the comprehensive services that you will need to help you make well-informed decisions and to set realistic goals for your future employment.
I am proud to say that our employment services are very unique in that they provide very individualized services that are developed with you and for you. Every person is different. Everyone has their own set of circumstances to deal with and it is our job to get to know you and help you along in whatever way possible, to decide what it is you want to do and to help you get there. When we say we can help you to choose, get and keep employment we are not just saying the words. We have skilled and experienced staff that will help you step by step every step of the way.
Many of our staff has been where you are now. They understand the struggle. They know what kind of support and resources are necessary to help people overcome the internal and external barriers and difficulties that can stand in your way. They are willing to provide you with the human element that is so necessary and so important to help you succeed. They can help you overcome your fears about work. They can help you make informed decisions about what you would like to do and what you can do. They can help you find jobs and they can help you develop the job-coping mechanisms and supports that you will need to sustain employment.
So, if you are ready to get started and would like to get more information about our employment programs or talk to me or one of my staff personally about any issues you have concerning employment, please contact me at (718) 802-1933. For direct contact with Network Plus and/or Baltic Bazaar, call Steve Duke at (718) 797-2509, and tell him "Isaac sent you." Good luck.
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Isaac Brown's Story
by Isaac Brown
Ken Steele has asked me to share with the readers of New York City Voices a little bit about my personal life. What a lot of people don't know about me is that before I was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, I lived quite an adventurous life (not that I don't now). At age seventeen and a half I left the United States to live in a Kibbutz (commune) in Israel. After living in the Kibbutz for about a year, I lived in one of the first settlements on The West Bank and then volunteered for the Israeli army for three years. I attained the rank of sergeant and saw action in the Lebanese war in the early 80s. I also worked at other jobs including welder, lumberjack and diamond cutter.
I was also a sort of world traveler. I spent time in England, Italy, Greece, France and Holland. After I left Israel I finally returned to the United States in 1984. I was getting sicker and sicker, hearing voices and having hallucinations. It was about this time that my first marriage ended in divorce because of my illness.
This started an eight-year period for me that saw me being hospitalized numerous times and even a few months of homelessness. Believe me, this was quite different from the years of adventure and globe trotting. There were times in my life when I thought things would never get better. I lived on SSI for about seven years and kept on hoping for a better life.
In 1992 I was offered a job at Fort Hamilton Clinic, a South Beach outpatient clinic, as consumer rep. It was a 20-hour job at about $6.00 an hour. I was so proud I had finally gone back to work even though it was part-time. It was also at this time that I received supported housing and moved out of the basement I was living in. I now had a nice apartment with windows, a job and some prospects for the future.
After working two years at Fort Hamilton Clinic I heard about a job as a generalist in a clubhouse (The Summit House of Brooklyn). I applied and got the job, my first full-time job in about 10 years. After working there for about a year and being promoted to Program Supervisor at the Clubhouse, I heard about the job at Brooklyn Peer Advocacy Project, a new agency opening up. The position was Director. I interviewed for and got this job.
But wait, the story isn't over. After about a year at Brooklyn Peer Advocacy Project, my final dream came true. I met my wife Rachel and got married in December of '98 and, I'm proud to say we are the parents of a 17-month-old girl named Sarah.
If my family is my first love, my second love is art. I have been painting abstract oils since 1982. I have even sold a number of them. One of my goals is to have a gallery show, which I hope will happen soon.
To all of you reading this article, I know sometimes, in times of despair, we curse and rail at the forces that have knocked us down. But believe me there is hope and for me personally there was Higher Power that I feel helped me gain the strength and determination needed to overcome all the obstacles put in my way. It happened for me and I truly believe it can happen for you!