In my story on the proposed Latino substance abuse treatment program going into Main South (See With a door in Main South, pg. 4, March 29, Worcester Magazine) I interviewed Juan Gomez, the new executive director of Centro Las Americas. The state’s Department of Public Health has awarded Latin American Health Alliance (LAHA) a $430,000 grant to set up a 25-bed residential house to be located somewhere in Main South. After categorically denying that Centro would not be housing the facility and answering my other questions on the matter, I asked the former City Councilor what it was like being a Republican in what is perceived as a liberal social organization.

Here’s what he said: "I don’t know how it is being perceived, but I can tell you how the vision of this organization will be changed by that. For 30 years Centro has been very, very dependent on public and foundation dollars. We’ve done very little – not because we haven’t wanted to, but because we have not been able to due to planning -- to become more self-sufficient.

"That’s the vision that I hope to bring Centro Las Americas. At the same time, share that feeling with employees so that can be transferred over to our clients. So that when a client comes in – some of this is already happening – for instance, a complete assessment of that person’s needs is done. We as an organization and the caseworkers and case managers – they try to identify all of the needs of those individuals and try to connect them with the services either from Centro or the rest of the community.

"How we are going to take that one step further is we are going to try and work hard to make that person self-sufficient – through education, training, English as a second language and job placement. So that a year from now we are not seeing the same client with the same needs, because we haven’t impacted the quality of their life so he or she is self-sufficient."