“At the end of the day, my mom still doesn’t understand my eating disorder,” Mariana admits. But her mother’s presence—every appointment, every step—spoke louder than words ever could. Mariana received an eating disorder diagnosis while in high school. Needing help to recover, her mother stepped in. Having immigrated from Paraguay—where, like in many cultures, mental health isn’t always openly discussed—she put aside her own beliefs to support her daughter. “She was just there for me,” Mariana recalled. Her mother attended every doctor’s appointment and supported her throughout her recovery. “It means so much to me,” she added. “Mental health isn’t something my mom usually prioritizes, so having her there really meant the world.” 

Mariana began volunteering for NAMI-NYC because she wanted to find a way to help others experiencing mental health symptoms. She found NAMI-NYC’s Ending the Silence program, which allowed her to share her personal experiences managing mental illness with students, parents, and school staff to help them understand mental health challenges and know how to seek support.  

Her first presentation was at John Bowne High School. While at John Bowne’s, she noticed that many parents there only spoke Spanish. “They were there to support their children, but there was a language barrier,” Mariana explained. Knowing how impactful her mother’s support was to her recovery, Mariana knew that this was a significant challenge for the community.  

Also, seeing the language barrier at John Bowne High School, Patti Billings, NAMI-NYC’s Ending the Silence coordinator, contacted Mariana and other Spanish-speaking volunteers to create a Spanish version of Ending the Silence. Mariana eagerly volunteered to help create this program, wanting to assist in making more mental health programs accessible to families trying to support their children.  

Creating a Spanish version of Ending the Silence took more than just translating the current program into Spanish, though. “Mental health support is not one-size-fits-all,” Mariana explained. They could not simply translate the program into Spanish; they had to find ways to make the program more culturally relevant. Mariana and the other volunteers helped gather mental health statistics on the Hispanic/Latino community in NYC and identified accessible mental health programs for Spanish speakers. Because NYC’s Spanish-speaking population comes from diverse cultural backgrounds, they also ensured the language used was inclusive for all. 

This new program, Hablemos, allowed Mariana to share her mental health story with Spanish-speaking families. She was able to tell how her mom was able to support her and how that made a difference in her recovery, giving hope and advice to the parents listening.  

To find resources to learn how to support your loved one living with mental illness, visit naminyc.org/family-members-friends.