C. H. Hank Balderrama
Clinical Director, Comprehensive Life Services
C. H. Hank Balderrama, MSW, LICSW, co-founded and was the first executive director of Consejo Counseling and Referral Service in Seattle in 1978, which still serves Latino community members with culturally competent direct behavioral health services. He has worked extensively in organizational cultural competence to promote increased access and positive service outcomes for Latino communities. Mr. Balderrama co-chaired a SAMHSA national panel responsible for developing mental health standards of care for Latinos. He advocated for Latinos and other under-served groups as a senior administrator at the Washington State Mental Health Division, from 1989 to 2013. His professional responsibilities and experiences include developing policy; creating training curricula; and providing consultation at division headquarters, state hospitals, regional mental health authorities and mental health centers. His areas of expertise include client services, community engagement, training and education, technical writing, contracting, and program administration. His motivation for being a Latino Center for Health advisory board member includes continued advocacy for the Latino community, especially in the implementation of the national initiative of primary behavioral health care integration.