One
of Our Own Elected to NYS Assembly!: MHANYS is excited to announce
that Donna Lupardo, MHA of the Southern Tier’s Director of Education,
has won election to the NYS Assembly! With years of experience in the
mental health field, we here at MHANYS look forward to working with
Donna to advance issues of greatest importance to individuals living
with mental health needs. It will be wonderful to have another good
friend in Albany!
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
CAMPAIGN
FOR A NEW YORK/
NEW YORK III AGREEMENT
ALBANY
MARCH & RALLY!
November
18, 2004
11:30 a.m.
East Steps of the NYS Capitol
THE
NUMBER OF HOMELESS SINGLE ADULTS IN SHELTER HAS REACHED ITS HIGHEST
POINT SINCE 1990 & STREET HOMELESS IS ON THE RISE.
NEW YORK/NEW YORK HOUSING IS THE SOLUTION!
Join
in asking Governor Pataki to negotiate a renewed agreement to provide
9,000 units of supportive housing for homeless New Yorkers --7,500 units
for homeless individuals living with mental illness and 1,500 units
for homeless families with special needs.
For
more information, please call Lindsey Davis, Coalition for the Homeless
at (212) 776-2012, or visit www.nynycampaign.org
Timothy’s Law Campaign Media Advisory:
Woman to Walk 120 miles in Support of Timothy’s Law
In memory of her friend lost to suicide, woman walks to
raise awareness for Timothy’s Law, to prevent other tragedies
Alexandra
Zimmerman, joined by her friends and supporters of Timothy’s Law,
will walk from Warwick, NY to the NYS Capitol in Albany to join hundreds
of people at a rally in support of Timothy’s Law. Alexandra is
walking in memory of her high school friend and classmate, Robin Jane
Desrats, lost to suicide in October, 1998 when the two friends attended
Warwick High School together.
Alexandra
will start her walk at Warwick High School (Orange County) at 12:00
noon on Saturday, November 13, and over a period of nearly 6 days, will
walk all the way to the NYS Capitol in Albany for a rally in support
of Timothy’s Law on Thursday, November 18.
WHO:
Alexandra Zimmerman and Supporters of Timothy’s Law
WHAT:
Walking in memory of Robin Desrats from Warwick, NY to the NYS Capitol
in Albany, to raise awareness of Timothy’s Law
WHERE:
Communities throughout Orange, Ulster, Greene and Albany Counties
WHEN:
Starting 12:00 noon on Saturday, November 13, 2004 at Warwick High School
in Warwick, NY
Ending
at 1:30 on Thursday, November 18, 2004 at the NYS Capitol in Albany
Alexandra’s Walk Route and Schedule: See the flyer
with details of Alexandra ’s walk (requires
the free Adobe
Acrobat Reader to view).
Saturday
- The walk will start at 12:00 noon from Warwick High School in Warwick,
NY and take Route 94 north to Chester for a break, ending in Washingtonville
(18 miles). Supporters are encouraged to join Alexandra and see her
off from Warwick High School.
Sunday
- Walkers will take Toleman Road to Little Britan Road going east. The
walk will then follow Route 17K into Newburgh for a break. The walk
will continue on Route 9W north to Middle Hope (18.6 miles).
Monday
- The walk will follow 9W north to the town of Highland for a break
and then continue to Esopus (22 miles).
Tuesday
- The walk will travel north on 9W to Lake Katrine for a break at the
Mental Health Association in Ulster County (221 Tuiten Bridge Rd, Lake
Katrine). Coming through Saugerties, walkers will take Ulster Avenue
to Route 32 north to 23A east. The walk will end in Kiskatom (22 miles).
Wednesday
- Walkers will take 23A into Catskill for a break and then follow 9W
north to Coxsackie (22miles).
Thursday
- The walk follows 9W to the Capitol in Albany to arrive in time for
the 1:00 rally in support of Timothy’s Law (20 miles).
Information
regarding estimated times at which Alexandra is due to come through
communities along her route can be obtained by calling Michael Seereiter
at the Mental Health Association in New York State at (518) 434-0439
ext. 21.
In the News:
Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Press Release
$6.6
Million Grant to Support Suicide Prevention Hotline
WASHINGTON,
Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) Administrator Charles Curie today announced a $6.6 million
grant to the Mental Health Association of New York City to manage a
toll-free national suicide prevention hotline network of local crisis
centers that can link callers to local emergency, mental health and
social service resources.
The Mental Health Association of New York Citywill receive approximately
$2.2 million per year for each of three years to provide information
about and assistance in implementing suicide prevention programs. In
addition, funds will also be used to increase the number of crisis centers
certified in suicide prevention.
Saying
"suicide is a preventable tragedy," Mr. Curie emphasized that
"help is available, treatment is effective and recovery is possible.
This center will help create a network for behavioral health systems
to extend a 'life net' across the nation."
Curie
made the announcement at the Oregon Partnership's Northwest Regional
Conference on Prevention in Portland. Oregon Senator Gordon Smith championed
legislation in Congress, signed by President Bush on October 21, 2004,
that will enhance SAMHSA's suicide prevention efforts at the state and
local levels, and early intervention and detection of mental illness.
The
Networking and Certifying Suicide Prevention Hotlines will be a partnership
effort among the National Association of State Mental Health Program
Directors (NASMHPD), Columbia University and Rutgers University.
SAMHSA,
a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and availability
of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health
services in the United States.
Pataki Administration Press Release
November 10, 2004
More
than $13 Million in Adult Home Reforms Unveiled
Builds on State Efforts to Improve Services and Resources for Adult
Home Residents
ALBANY, November 10, 2004 -- State Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner
Antonia C. Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H., State Office of Mental Health
(OMH) Commissioner Sharon E. Carpinello, R.N., Ph.D., State Commission
on Quality Care for the Mentally Disabled (CQC) Chairman Gary O'Brien,
and State Office for the Aging (SOFA) Acting Director Neal E. Lane today
unveiled more than $13 million in adult home reform initiatives that
will further improve services and living conditions for adult home residents
across the state. The initiatives build on the significant surveillance
and quality efforts Governor George E. Pataki has already directed.
The
initiatives include more than $7 million to enhance case management,
as well as strengthen educational and vocational training for adult
home residents. The remaining $6 million in funding will support capital
improvements made by adult home operators, including the installation
of air conditioners, furniture upgrades, building maintenance and structural
improvements to ensure compliance with state regulations. The funding
is part of the State's Quality Incentive Program (QUIP) to support the
completion of capital improvements and enhancement of resident services
in adult homes statewide.
DOH
Commissioner Novello said, "Governor Pataki's continued commitment
to improving the adult home system has resulted in real progress. The
funding announced today will help expand crucial services for adult
home residents."
OMH
Commissioner Carpinello said, "The plan announced today will continue
to enhance the quality of life for adult home residents. The expansion
of case management will better enable residents with mental illness
to access the community services and social supports necessary for them
to meet their recovery goals.
CQC
Chairman O'Brien said, "Through this initiative, the Governor has
again demonstrated his commitment to improving the quality of life for
adult home residents by expanding opportunities for residents to access
more integrated services in the community."
SOFA
Acting Director Lane said, "Governor Pataki's adult home initiatives
build on New York's efforts to improve long-term care services statewide.
By further strengthening existing services and supporting new programs,
the administration is helping to ensure a better quality of life for
adult home residents."
The
new and expanded initiatives build on the Governor's adult home reforms
that have been implemented in recent years, including: enhanced multi-state
agency adult home oversight and surveillance; more clearly defined resident
death reporting requirements for adult home operators; posting of the
latest surveillance results of adult homes on the State Health Department's
web site; and strengthened Medicaid fraud enforcement activities.
The
new initiatives were developed through a collaborative process involving
a broad coalition of state agencies, community leaders and advocates.
Together, the DOH, OMH, CQC and SOFA will coordinate the implementation
and expansion of these initiatives.
The
new funding announced today will support:
- Improved and Expanded Case Management: Case managers will help
coordinate services to ensure that the care provided to residents
meets their individual needs. The expanded initiative will also assist
residents with accessing available community-based services.
- Capital Improvement: Funding will be made available to operators
through a competitive process to facilitate capital improvements to
adult homes, such as: renovations, maintenance, furniture replacement
and repairs, as well as installation of air conditioning.
- Quality of Life Initiatives: To respond directly to concerns raised
by residents, new funding will be made available through a competitive
bid process to be used for life and independent living skills, among
other needs. Each resident council must approve the use of funds in
the adult home for such purposes.
- Expanding Resident Councils: Funding will be used to assist the
formation of resident councils in adult homes in which a council has
not yet been established or its members have not actively held meetings.
- Dedicated Receivership Fund: These funds will be used to offset
the cost associated with replacing an operator of a poorly run adult
home with an experienced service provider who volunteers to temporarily
take over the day-to-day operations of the home.
STORIES
FROM THE SHU
The
Mental Health Alternatives to Solitary Confinement coalition (“MHASC”)
is committed to ending the abusive practice of placing psychiatrically
disabled prisoners into solitary confinement or SHU. As you know, inmates
housed in SHU are confined for 23 hours a day and face severe isolation,
sensory deprivation, and extreme idleness. Many lose their life.
Due
to your advocacy efforts, a bill abolishing the use of SHU on inmates
with psychiatric disabilities was passed in the Assembly last year.
To make this law, introduction and passage of the same bill is still
needed in the Senate. Your leadership can make this happen!
MHASC
is collecting stories and photos from people currently or formerly in
solitary confinement, as well as from friends and family members who
have a loved one who has had an experience in SHU. Your stories,
letters, photographs, and poems will be collected to form a book. MHASC
is hopeful that this powerful collection will inform and motivate the
New York State Legislature to pass this long overdue law.
If
you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me at (212)
780-1400, ext. 792. Please include and complete the “SUBMISSION
FORM” (requires the free Adobe
Acrobat Reader to view) with your work and be sure to read
and sign the “Required Authorization” segment of the form.
Submissions may be sent, emailed, or faxed to the following before December
16th:
Vuka Stricevic
Community Access
666 Broadway, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10012
Email: vukas@communityaccess.org
Fax: 212-780-1412
Until
next time, we remain,
Working to ensure available and accessible
mental health services for all New Yorkers