A Day of Advocacy and Demonstrations

A Day of Advocacy and Demonstrations
By Carla Rabinowitz, Advocacy Coordinator, Community Access, & Board Member, NYAPRS
NYAPRS Legislative Day 2017

February 28, 2017 was probably my favorite NYAPRS Legislative Day ever. New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services is a 35-year-old organization that brings together mental health recipients and recipient-friendly service providers.
Mental health advocacy has come a long way. We are finally getting the respect we deserve.
The folks in attendance heard from Senator Robert Ortt, Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, a representative from Governor Cuomo’s office, and a representative from the Office of Mental Health. We also gave out awards, including an award to Senator Jeffrion Aubry for his work on criminal justice issues.
New York City folks accounted for about 360 of the 700 people in Albany that day.
NYAPRS statewide folks filled a large auditorium called The Egg, which is shaped like an egg.
We not only heard from leaders in New York State government, we heard from NYAPRS’ Executive Director Harvey Rosenthal. Harvey went over the issues he hoped the attendees would talk about that day, including:
Funding to shore-up existing housing; Funding for new supportive housing and affordable housing; Raising the age for adult criminal responsibility to 18 years of age; Ending solitary confinement, the SHU, once and for all; More funding for comprehensive 36-hour police training around mental health called CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) training; and Opposition to Forced Treatment.
I was so excited this year because I got an old-style physical banner created, which read “Supportive housing saves lives, sign the MOU.” The MOU, memorandum of understanding, is a simple contract that the leaders of the NYS Senate, Assembly, and Government must all sign together. If they sign the MOU, $1.9 billion in housing funding gets released, creating 6,000 apartments. If they don’t sign the MOU, the money cannot be released for housing providers and new apartments will be much more difficult to build.
I held up the banner with a friend’s help when the elected officials were speaking in the auditorium and shouted, “Sign the MOU!”
I had some NYAPRS helpers hold up the banner when I spoke about housing on stage, and I carried the banner all around the NYS Capitol. I got some thumbs up signs from elected officials’ staffers, and a few snarls from NYS Security officers.
After listening to Harvey talk about the issues and hearing from some officials, some people went to a rally on the Capitol steps outside. Those attendees carried signs they made at home that read with slogans like “Ban the Box,” and, “There is no health care without housing,” etc.
Other attendees went into the Capitol and Legislative Office Building to visit with key elected officials.
I lead a team to visit some elected officials. My group spoke elegantly about all issues, but focused on housing and opposition to forced treatment. My group of attendees blew me away with how well they spoke. They were some of the most impressive advocates I’ve ever had the pleasure to help coordinate.
Now I am getting ready for the NYC Mental Health Film Festival. We are meeting as a group and screening films to see if the films are worth showing at our film fest.
If you want to join us, contact me, Carla Rabinowitz, crabinowitz@communityaccess.org or 212-780-1400 x7726.

NYC Advocates Joined NYAPRS for Legislative Day in Albany

NYC Advocates Joined NYAPRS for Legislative Day in Albany

By Carla Rabinowitz, Advocacy Coordinator and Briana Gilmore, Director of Planning and Recovery Practice, Community Access

Requesting Housing and Criminal Justice System Reform

On Tuesday, February 23, 2016, hundreds of community members from across New York City travelled to Albany to advocate on behalf of the mental health community. The advocates joined NYAPRS, the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, as it convened its 19^th Annual Legislative Day.

A Legislative day is when a group of people advocating for a cause gather at the Capital and educate elected officials.

NYAPRS focuses on statewide advocacy for the promotion of rights and recovery for people who have been a part of the mental health system, as well as those who have also had experiences with substance abuse, homelessness, and the criminal justice system. NYAPRS members meet with New York State Senators and Assembly Members on Legislative Day to discuss needed reforms.

The trip from NYC to Albany is fun itself, as hundreds of people travel by bus together, sharing stories and excitement about the day.

Then once in Albany, attendees meet in a very large auditorium called The Egg. NYAPRS leaders introduce key issues, celebrate progressive legislators working toward mental health reform, and remember past legislative victories. After coming together over the issues we share as a community and we break into small groups to meet with legislators.

This year, the biggest priorities for NYAPRS were some of the social issues that intersect the lives of people with mental health needs, specifically housing availability and criminal justice system reform.

NYAPRS advocates urged Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio to sign a new NY/NY IV agreement to ensure a multi-year commitment between city and state for the supportive housing needs of our community. In addition, we advocated for a $92.9 million statewide housing readjustment rate for housing providers to ensure they can sustain quality service operation and safe, updated facilities.

Mental health advocates joined NYAPRS in advocating for our brothers and sisters in jail and prison and for their needs when they are released. Reforming jails and prisons is imperative to the well-being of our community members. This year NYAPRS focused on Presumptive Medicaid, which would guarantee a person leaving jail or prison Medicaid eligibility for the first 90 days. Currently, a person leaving jail or prison has had their Medicaid eligibility suspended and can’t immediately access health care, including medications.

Importantly, NYAPRS prioritizes diversion from jail or prison, particularly in the case of mental health crisis that contribute to incarceration of our community members. We advocated for the expansion of Crisis Intervention Team training, which is a comprehensive method to teach police officers how to respond to people in distress. The 40-hour training equips officers with skills to identify and de-escalate the effects of a mental health crisis. NYC is currently committed to training 5,500 officers, but the need is for 10,000 trained officers; we advocated for an increase in trained officers to meet the city’s needs.

We also advocated for additional funding for supportive community services. NYAPRS initiated a $90 million request to sustain community infrastructure and expand technological resources. Behavioral health providers are not fully equipped to navigate some of the financial reforms implemented by the Department of Health to make the Medicaid system more efficient. This money would support providers in preparing to better support participants.

NYAPRS advocates also sought $50 million reinvestment from savings gained by the shift to Medicaid Managed Care, and $5.5 million from the closing of hospitals. We advocated for the reinvestment of these funds into community settings, to continue to prevent the need for hospitalization and prioritize community integration.

One excellent example of community reinvestment funding in the 1990s was the Community Access Howie T Harp training program. This peer run program trains mental health service recipients to work as peer specialists or in the human service field. The program has promoted over 1,000 NYC community members in pursuing workforce goals and continues to provide options for people with mental health system experiences.

Many people have the perception that individual advocacy with elected officials does not matter, but that’s not true. Ten years ago, Community Access helped to arrange speakers for advocacy to end solitary confinement in prisons for people with mental health treatment needs. We thought we would wow elected officials with experts, including a speaker from the United Nations, Amnesty International, and top lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union. We also brought one family member of a person with mental illness living in solitary.

After the public hearing where these speakers delivered testimony, we met separately with the legislator chairing the committee. They asked by name for the family member who testified at the hearing. The voice of a family advocate was the only voice they remembered from a four-hour hearing. Personal testimony matters, and always leaves an impact on elected leaders.

The most important thing to remember when you speak to an elected official is speak from the heart and convey how your personal story relates to what issue you are seeking to change. Honesty and commitment often translate to influence with legislative leaders.

Consider joining us in monthly meetings to discuss news about mental health issues from across the state and country with the NYAPRS NYC chapter.

To get involved with NYAPRS, call Carla Rabinowitz at 212-780-1400 x7726, or crabinowitz@communityaccess.org

NYAPRS' Annual Legislative Day in Albany

NYAPRS' Annual Legislative Day in Albany
By Sharon Spieler
Outlined Are Their Priorities
The Annual Albany Legislative Day sponsored by the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) took place on February 25, 2015.
Consumers from all counties throughout New York City and New York State attended. There was a full schedule of events for the day. The morning began with a welcome from NYAPRS Co-Presidents Carla Rabinowitz and Alison Carroll and Public Policy Co-Chairs Carla Rabinowitz and Ray Schwartz.
After this, NYAPRS laid out the 2015-16 State Public Policy Priorities. Various speakers made their case:
1. There is a housing crisis. Funds are needed for supported housing as the cost of these houses has risen over 50% and are now underfunded. Add $82 million to the Executive Budget’s $17 million allocation;
2. Expand housing for the homeless by creating 30,000 New York City and 5,000 statewide units of supportive housing;
3. Adult home residents with psychiatric disabilities have been promised a transition to community-based residences and in order to achieve this, an approved $30 million allocation must remain;
4. Much was said about criminal justice reforms such as expanding crisis intervention teams, raising the age of youthful offender status to 21, prohibiting solitary confinement for any person with a psychiatric or physical disability, establishing Medicaid eligibility for all individuals discharged from forensic settings to enable immediate access to needed services and supports, and expanding the New York State's Office of Mental health (OMH) criminal justice services for persons leaving state prisons through discharge planning, wrap-around community supports and supported housing. Use the $22 million executive budget allocation for this;
5. Those persons with disabilities should have access to a home health aide for personalized assistance and a smooth community transition from institutional settings;
6. There should be no interference in what kinds of medication can be prescribed to patients to ensure the safety and choice of public benefit consumers regarding their medications and restore $4.1 million;
7. Preserve $115 million in Medicaid funding to support a recovery-focused transition to Medicaid managed care; and finally
8. Approve $15 million in new community-funded services such as urgent care, crisis respite, housing and recovery supports.
The featured Speakers included Assistant Deputy Secretary for Health Tracie Gardner, OMH Commissioner Ann Marie Sullivan, Assembly Mental Health Committee Chair Aileen Gunther, Senate Mental Health Committee Chair Robert Ortt and Assembly Criminal Justice Committee Chair Daniel O’Donnell.
NYAPRS Awards were presented to Jennifer Parish, Karen Wera, Dottie Harie and Michael Virtanen. A rally took place in front of the Capital Building and groups of Consumers met with their own state legislators to discuss these mental health issues.