Albany County Candidates Forum on Mental Health Huge Success: Working in collaboration with ClearView Center, Inc. in Albany, MHANYS’ Mental Health Voter Empowerment Project (MHVEP) held its first ever Candidate Forum specifically on mental health issues. Capital News 9’s Morning Anchor Julie Chapman posed questions to candidates vying for seats in the NYS Senate and Assembly.

125-150 people participated in the forum, held in the Swyer Theatre at The Egg at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Audience members listened intently to responses from candidates for the 46th Senate District, incumbent Senator Neil Breslin and his challenger Mike Connors, candidates for the 104th Assembly District, incumbent Assemblymember John McEneny and his challenger Joseph Sorce, and candidates for the 109th Assembly District, incumbent Assemblymember Robert Prentiss and his challenger Robert Reilly.

All six candidates had three minutes to respond to each of five questions. The questions covered topics relating to mental health and Medicaid, supported housing, mental health and chemical dependency health insurance parity, and employment. Candidates were then asked where the issues concerning individuals with mental health needs fit into their overall priorities.

This being the first event of its kind, MHVEP hopes to take this idea to communities throughout the state in future years. If you are interested in holding an event like this in the future, please visit the MHVEP website at www.mhanys.org/mhvep or contact Bryan O’Malley at (518) 434-0439 ext. 29 or bomalley@mhanys.org.

MHANYS’ MHVEP and ClearView Center thank the candidates for taking time out of their campaigns to address mental health issues, Captial News 9’s Morning Anchor Julie Chapman for taking the time to moderate the forum, and to everyone who attended.

 

MHANYS’ Mental Health Voter Empowerment Project Reminds You:

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!!
ELECTION DAY
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND

WHERE THE CANDIDATES STAND
MHANYS’ Voter Education Guide is available on-line at www.mhanys.org/mhvep and contains the responses from candidates for NYS Senate and Assembly races. Please be advised that several candidates who had not yet filled out the guide as of our first distribution have since done so.

WHERE TO VOTE
You should have received a card in the mail outlining where you should go to vote on Election Day. If you have not, and you are not familiar with where you are supposed to go to vote on Election Day, call your local Board of Elections. You can find out how to contact your local Board of Elections.

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU TO VOTE
The Help America Vote Act (HAVA), passed in the wake of the 2000 Presidential election, outlined several steps that states must take to help protect against voter fraud. Among these, first time voters must show valid picture ID. IF YOU HAVE PICTURE IDENTIFICATION, BRING IT WITH YOU TO THE POLLS. If you do not have picture ID, several other forms of identification are acceptable. You can visit www.mhanys.org/mhvep to find out which forms of ID MAY be acceptable. It is recommended that if you do not have picture ID, you contact your local Board of Elections to determine what form of identification will be acceptable on Election Day.

WHAT IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE VOTING?
If you experience any problems voting, call 1-866-OUR VOTE (866-687-8683). This line is set up for immediate action, however, it is National and not related specifically to mental health or other disability needs. Also, the NYS Independent Living Council is collecting complaints about inability to access the polls. THIS WILL NOT PROVIDE IMMEDIATE HELP; however, they might be able to provide some assistance to make sure your situation does not occur in the future. You may call 1-888-4-NYSILC if you experience problems voting.

MOVING FORWARD
Finally, keep in mind, MHVEP does not cease on Election Day. We plan on continuing our efforts to register and educate voters locally after the election. This will help us realize our full potential as a population and have the influence we deserve. Please consider joining MHVEP today at for regular updates on MHVEP and voter empowerment initiatives in your area. Or, you may complete and return the form that follows below.

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Mental Health Voter Empowerment Project

"The ANTIDOTE to Stigma and Discrimination
Now Has a Name...the VOTE"

It Begins With Me!

Yes, I want to join the Mental Health Voter Empowerment Project!

(Please Print)

Date: ___________________

Name: _______________________________________

Mailing Address: __________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Phone Number: ____________________________

Senate District: ____________ Assembly District: __________

E-mail Address:____________________________________________________________

_____ I would like to volunteer with MHVEP in my area.

This information will be used only by the Mental Health Voter Empowerment Project, a consumer/recipient run public education campaign. It will be used to keep you informed about election dates and times, as well as candidates and their positions on issues that are important to you. The goal of the Mental Health Voter Empowerment Project is to allow you to become the most educated voter you can be.

Membership information will be kept confidential by the Mental Health Voter Empowerment Project and will not be used for fundraising, lobbying, or any other unauthorized purpose.

The Mental Health Voter Empowerment Project is a program of the Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS). For more information about the Mental Health Voter Empowerment Project or MHANYS, please call (800) 766-6177, ext. 29, or visit us on the web at www.mhanys.org/mhvep .

We would like to acknowledge the cooperation and support of other mental health organizations, including NAMI-NYS, NYAPRS.

To ensure that you are enrolled properly, return this form to:

Bryan O’Malley
Mental Health Voter Empowerment Project
194 Washington Ave., Suite 415
Albany, NY 12210

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In the News: Below, you will find Capital New 9’s coverage of the Albany County Candidates Forum. In addition, an article from The Journal News illustrates that mental health issues such as Timothy’s Law have become issues in races for NYS Assembly and Senate Districts.

 

Candidates talk about mental health issues
Capital News 9, October 25, 2004

The candidates in some local races were campaigning at The Egg in Albany on Monday.

It was a first-of-its-kind forum organized by the Clearview Center and the Mental Health Association of New York.

Organizers said they believe mental health is often overlooked by lawmakers. They wanted to put the issue on center stage and allow voters to see where the candidates stand.

Glen Liebman of the Mental Health Association said, "What we want to do is hopefully take the success of today's forum, because we have a very large crowd of enthusiastic people, and what we want to do is try to replicate that around the state as well. We think this will send an extreme message out to legislators and to other policy makers that people with mental illness do count, they vote, and they're a very powerful constituency."

One in five New Yorkers suffers from some form of mental disability.

http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=101152

 

Spano touts results of state Senate tenure. By Ken Valenti
The Journal News, October 28, 2004

HASTINGS ON HUDSON — Republican state Sen. Nicholas Spano said he has gotten results for Westchester residents in his 18 years on the job, while his Democratic challenger, county Legislator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, said change was needed to overhaul the "dysfunctional" state government.

Change was needed, Stewart-Cousins said, to end problems like the chronically late state budgets.

"It doesn't happen by returning the same people and the same process," she said in a one-hour debate in the Hastings Public Library. "It takes change."

Spano said he had more clout than Stewart-Cousins would as a freshman legislator, adding that he has supported reforms and brought "more education aid each year" to the region.

"I work hard for the people — that's not a cliche," he said. "I get results — that's not a slogan."

They are battling in Tuesday's election to represent the 35th Senate District, which stretches from Yonkers to Mount Pleasant, in a contest that is receiving statewide attention.
During the debate, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Rivertowns, Spano was asked about Timothy's Law, which would require health insurance companies to improve coverage of treatment for mental illnesses and alcohol and drug addiction.

Efforts to pass the bill in the Senate led to the scaling back of the proposed legislation. Diggitt McLaughlin, a Hastings resident, asked Spano why he allowed the bill to be "eviscerated, and what are you going to do about it?"

Spano said that, in the face of discussions over the bill, he hoped to enact it in parts, adding alcohol and substance abuse treatments to the required coverage after it is proved that covering mental illnesses does not cost the insurance companies as much as they say it will.

Stewart-Cousins said it is best to "get it right the first time" when enacting laws.

Both said they support rights for homosexuals, including civil unions, but neither gave support to gay marriage.

"I don't believe we should go as far as same-sex marriage," Spano said, after noting that he supported equal rights for homosexuals in receiving health benefits and other areas.

Stewart-Cousins declined to answer the question about same-sex marriage directly, saying she preferred to talk about civil unions. When a member of the audience asked if that meant she opposed allowing homosexuals to wed, she said, "I'm not saying that I'm opposed to same-sex marriage," but that the issue needs to be discussed.

Both Spano and Stewart-Cousins said they supported a woman's right to choose an abortion.

In response to a question from the audience, Stewart-Cousins defended a Cablevision ad charging that Spano "gets a $25,000 bonus for his ceremonial title" of senior assistant majority leader. The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee found that the ad was unfair because the allowance cannot be considered a bonus and the position is not ceremonial.

Stewart-Cousins said the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee was responsible for the ad, not her, adding that the reference to the "bonus" was meant as a description of the money as coming in addition to Spano's base salary.

Spano said the position is a reflection of his clout in the Senate and "enables me to deliver for the people of Westchester."

Spano was elected to the state Senate in 1986 after serving several years in the Assembly. He is a member of the Republican leadership in the Senate, holding the post of senior assistant majority leader.

Stewart-Cousins is in her fifth term on the Westchester County Board of Legislators. She represents her Yonkers district and holds the leadership post of majority whip.

• Oral testimony will be limited to 10 minutes.
• MHANYS will schedule the order of witnesses. In the event that you should need to speak at a particular time, please notify MHANYS on the reply form below.

Please Note: Reply Form Attached

Reply Form
MHANYS’ 2005 Legislative Agenda
Public Hearing

___ I plan to attend MHANYS’ Public Hearing on November 10, 2004

___ I plan to make a public statement at the hearing. My statement will be limited to 10 minutes, and I will answer any questions that may arise. I will provide 10 copies of my testimony to MHANYS.

___ I will address my remarks to the following subjects:

 

 

 

___ I do not plan to attend MHANYS’ Public Hearing

___ I do not plan to attend MHANYS’ Public Hearing, but would like to submit the enclosed testimony

___ I will require assistance and/or handicapped accessibility. Please specify type of assistance required:

 

 

Name: __________________________________________________________________

Title: ____________________________________________________________________

Organization: ______________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ________________________________________________

Fax: __________________________________________________

 

Please return this form to:
Michael Seereiter
Director of Public Policy
Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc.
194 Washington Avenue, Suite 415
Albany, NY 12210
Fax: (518) 427-8676
mseereiter@mhanys.org

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RALLY FOR TIMOTHY’S LAW

NOVEMBER 18, 2004
1:00 Gathering at NYS Museum
1:30 Rally at NYS Capitol

Additional information at:1-888-326-8644 and
http://www.mhanys.org/timothyslaw/index.htm

OR

Join Timothy’s Team for email updates –
http://mail.kilakwa.net/mailman/listinfo/timothysteam_kilakwa.net

 

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Until next time, we remain,
Working to ensure available and accessible
mental health services for all New Yorkers