Timothy’s Law Gaining Momentum for Senate’s Anticipated Return to Albany: The efforts of the Timothy’s Law Campaign are once again well underway in an effort to see Timothy’s Law successfully enacted into law. As many people already know, a Timothy’s Law Rally will be held on November 18th at the NYS Capitol in Albany. Hundreds of people from all over the state have already confirmed their attendance at the rally. We hope that you’ll consider joining us as well.

Information regarding buses running from NYC follows immediately below and will be posted to the Timothy’s Law website as it becomes available. In addition, a dialogue regarding car-pooling from other areas of the state from which there is not a bus running is available is on-going on the Timothy’s Law message board at www.timothyslaw.org.

Buses Going to Albany from:

New York City, Brooklyn, Harlem – Contact Jessica Whalen at (212) 684-3365
Bronx – Contact Pauline Magnetti at (718) 862-3347 or bpcarcinc@aol.com
Westchester – Contact Eva Dech at (914) 682 -3926

In addition to the rally, Alexandra Zimmerman, will be walking from Warwick, NY (Orange County) all the way to Albany in memory of her friend Robin Desrats, who was lost to suicide. Alexandra will arrive at the Capitol in time for the rally on the 18th. See the flyer with details of Alexandra ’s walk (requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view).

 

MHANYS’ Legislative Public Hearing and Awards Luncheon – November 10th: In an effort to get input into the contents of MHANYS’ 2005 Legislative Agenda, MHANYS will be holding its annual public hearing on November 10th at the Albany Marriot Hotel. This event allows anyone and everyone to weigh-in with suggestions and recommendations regarding MHANYS’ policy work in the upcoming year. If you are unable to submit testimony in person on the 10th, we encourage you to submit written testimony to Michael Seereiter, MHANYS’ Director of Public Policy. Michael can be contacted at at mseereiter@mhanys.org or (518) 434-0439, ext. 21. Information on the public hearing follows below.

 

Medicaid Buy-In: Last year, the Medicaid Buy-In was passed into law, allowing working people with disabilities the ability to continue to receive Medicaid benefits even if their salary brings them over the economic threshold for benefits. By contributing on a scale relative to their income, these individuals can pay into the system and retain their health care coverage under Medicaid.

Unfortunately, less that 2,000 individuals, out of thousands statewide, have enrolled in the program. The Department of Health has released a Medicaid Buy-In Toolkit to assist individuals in participating in the program. This toolkit has been printed and we are informed that it will be available on DOH’s website in the near future.

In the meantime, DOH will be hosting a conference on the Medicaid Buy-In which will take place on November 9th here in Albany. The information on this conference, reprinted below, was taken from the DOH website.

State Health Department To Host Conference On
Medicaid Buy-In For Working People With Disabilities

ALBANY, November 1, 2004 - The New York State Department of Health is hosting a conference in Albany, New York on November 9, 2004 to provide information on the Medicaid Buy-In Program for Working People with Disabilities (MBI-WPD). The expansion of New York's Medicaid program is helping empower New Yorkers with disabilities to hold jobs while continuing to receive comprehensive state health insurance coverage.

State Health Commissioner Antonia C. Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H., said, "This conference is an important and informative opportunity for participants to learn more about the program and how to effectively meet the challenges they may face in securing and maintaining employment."

"Building Community Partnerships," celebrates the first full year of the State's Medicaid Buy-In Program for Working People with Disabilities. The Conference will be held on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany.

This conference is an opportunity for consumers, stakeholders and service agencies to learn more about the MBI-WPD. Attendees will be able to share best practices and effective strategies for meeting the challenges disabled individuals face when returning to the work force. Participants will also hear from working disabled participants about the difference the Medicaid Buy-In program has made in their lives.

Information on the conference may be obtained by calling (518) 473-5330. Registration deadline is Friday, November 5, 2004.

The Keynote speaker for this year's conference is John Hockenberry, a three-time Peabody Award winner, four-time Emmy award winner, Dateline NBC correspondent, and award-winning journalist. Approximately 20,000 working New Yorkers with disabilities may enroll in the program when fully implemented. There are currently 2,000 New Yorkers with disabilities enrolled in the Medicaid buy-In program.

New Yorkers with disabilities who are between the ages of 16 and 64, working and have net incomes up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) may be eligible for the MBI-WPD. New York has extended Medicaid benefits under this program to working individuals with disabilities with a gross income that could be as high as $47,580 for a household of one ($63,492 for a household of two) and whose countable resources also do not exceed $10,000.

Applications for the program are available statewide through local departments of social services. This year the Governor has, for the second consecutive year, awarded $135,000 in State funding to 12 community-based organizations to assist New Yorkers seeking to enroll in the MBI-WPD.

The community-based organizations are responsible for assisting potential participants in the enrollment process, acting as representatives for individuals who qualify for benefits, and publicly disseminating educational materials about the program. The organizations may also assist individuals with disabilities in their efforts to prepare for jobs.

 

NYAPRS Recovery Report on PROS:

RECOVERY REPORT
To: NYAPRS Members and Friends November 4, 2004
From: Ray Schwartz and Vuka Stricevic, Public Policy Committee Co-Chairs and
Harvey Rosenthal, Executive Director
Re: NYAPRS Releases State Advocacy/PROS Regional Forums Fall Schedule

Each year, NYAPRS continues our strong commitment to supporting New Yorkers with psychiatric disabilities, in partnership with local rehabilitation and peer-run professionals, to set their state budget, legislative and regulatory priorities, and to participate in effective local and statewide advocacy actions.

This fall's schedule is just about set. Our executive director Harvey Rosenthal will be participating at 13 regional forums aimed at:

o Providing an update on our progress in achieving last year's goals
o Gathering input on NYAPRS members' priorities for the upcoming year
o Providing a PROS presentation that has been newly revised for peer audiences

Following is our current schedule, thanks to Kelly Adams and our regional coordinators (lunch will be provided at a number of the forums):

Nov. 15th New York City State Advocacy Forum 4:00-6:00 pm
Hunter College Manhattan

Nov. 16th New York City PROS for Peers Presentation 4:00-6:00 pm
Transitional Services for New York
147-32 Jamaica Ave., 2nd Fl., Jamaica

Nov. 17th Long Island Regional Forum/PROS for Peers 10:00am-1:00pm
South Oaks Hospital 400 Sunrise Highway, Amityville

Nov. 22nd North Country Regional Forum I/PROS for Peers 10:00am-1:00pm
Northern Region Center for Independent Living
165 Mechanic Street, Watertown

Nov. 23rd CNY Regional Forum/PROS for Peers 10:00am-1:00pm
Onondaga Case Management 220 Herald Place, Syracuse

Dec. 8th Western NY Regional Forum I/PROS for Peers 10:00am-1:00pm
Location TBA in Buffalo

Dec. 9th Western NY Regional Forum II/PROS for Peers 10:00am-1:00pm
Location TBA in Jamestown/Olean

Dec. 13th Capital District Regional Forum/PROS for Peers 10:00am-1:00pm
Potpourri Social Club ClearView Center
260 Washington Avenue, Albany

Dec. 14th Western NY Regional Forum III/PROS for Peers 10:00am-1:00pm
Mental Health Coalition 339 East Avenue, Rochester

Dec. 17th North Country Regional Forum II/PROS for Peers 10:00am-1:00pm
East Side Center 230 Maple St., Glens Falls

TBA Southern Tier I Binghamton; Southern Tier II Elmira;
Westchester/Putnam; Mid-Hudson (Rockland)

January 25 NYAPRS Legislative Day Albany

Questions? Contact NYAPRS' Kelly Adams at 518-436-0008 ext 11 (nyaprsadm@aol.com)

The Center for Reintegration Announces Availability of 2005-2006 Lilly Moving Lives Forward Reintegration Scholarship (Lilly Press Release):

Scholarship Applications Now Available for Those Battling Severe Mental Illness

Program helps people with bipolar, schizophrenia and related
schizophrenia-spectrum disorders reintegrate into society

NEW YORK, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Reintegration, a non-profit organization working to improve the lives of persons with mental illness, today announced that applications for the 2005-2006 Lilly Moving Lives Forward Reintegration Scholarship are currently available. Interested candidates can now obtain the application from the Center For Reintegration's website at http://www.reintegration.com. The application deadline is January 14, 2005.

Sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company, the scholarship program was designed to help persons with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and related schizophrenia-spectrum disorders acquire the educational and vocational skills necessary to move their lives forward and reintegrate into society. For the 2004-2005 school year, fifty students were awarded the Lilly Moving Lives Forward Reintegration Scholarship.

This is the second year that The Center For Reintegration has made the application available via the web. Last year, a record number of applicants opted to download the forms from http://www.reintegration.com. A limited number of hardcopy applications will still be available to anyone without Internet access. Individuals wishing to receive an application by mail may call the hotline at 800-809-8202.

"When we first began this scholarship, there were those who thought it would be impossible for a person battling a severe mental illness to focus on classroom activities, complete exams and earn passing grades -- but now that we are in our eighth year, we can confidently say those critics were wrong," commented Ralph Aquila, M.D., Center for Reintegration executive director and chairman of the Lilly Moving Lives Forward Reintegration Scholarship judging panel.

"Since the program began in 1997, about 600 people have been awarded scholarships. Many are multi-year recipients, allowing them to continue and complete their education. For example, of the fifty recipients for the 2004- 2005 school year, more than two-thirds (67 percent) are previous winners successfully continuing their education -- and most of these students have an "A" average," added Aquila. "Thanks to the forward thinking of Eli Lilly and Company, the program's sponsor, we have had scholars successfully attend and graduate from such schools as Harvard, Yale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and scores of other highly respected learning institutions," noted Dr. Aquila.

An independent judging panel made up of nine psychiatric care professionals chooses the winners each year. Levels of study range from high school equivalency programs to graduate degrees, with the areas of endeavor including engineering, law, psychiatry, graphic design, social work, architecture, education and computer sciences. Current scholarship recipients are attending such schools as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Culinary Institute of America, Purdue University, California Institute of Technology, The University of Tennessee, and others.

About The Center for Reintegration

The Center for Reintegration is a non-profit organization committed to helping people with mental illnesses pursue a meaningful life through reintegration -- the process by which a person with a mental illness finds meaningful work, restores his or her relationships, and moves toward independent living. To help achieve these goals, The Center for Reintegration provides useful information and support tools for consumers, caregivers, employers, family and friends.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY - News), a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Lilly provides answers -- through medicines and information -- for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at http://www.lilly.com.

 

In the News:

Governor hurts local programs. Letter to the Editor
Newsday, November 2, 2004

Regarding "$2.5B Suozzi plan OK'd" [News, Oct. 26]: While the Nassau County Legislature restored some funding for youth services, it was unable to ameliorate state cuts to community mental-health programs. The governor's veto last month of mental-health funding is now being felt on the local level. County officials are being rushed to cut back or eliminate critical programs. These programs provide rehabilitative services, pre-vocational programs that prepare people for work, family support, transportation to and from doctor's appointments, crisis intervention during non-business hours, therapeutic nursery school and after-care programs, etc. They serve as a safety net for community members who struggle to stay out of more costly care settings such as hospital emergency rooms.

What message do we send when we permit lawmakers in Albany to make this kind of impact on our local community? We implore our legislators to override the governor's ill-conceived vetoes and pass a supplementary budget that restores funding to our vital community mental health services.

Marcia Z. Feuer
Hempstead

Editor's note: The writer is director of public policy, Mental Health Association of Nassau County.

• 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