Getting Our Voices Heard in Albany, NY
What a day. On January 29, many Community Access tenants, program participants, and staff were among 700+ individuals at the NYAPRS (New York State Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services) 15th Annual Legislative Day in Albany, NY.
About 300 individuals traveled to Albany from NYC – including Steve Coe, CA's CEO, and two Howie the Harp graduates, Brenda Fields and Sandra Patton, who volunteered to be ‘bus captains.’ We held a rally and met with elected officials to discuss important issues affecting the mental health community. Through sharing our personal stories, we talked about how policy decisions affect real people in both big ways and small.
Legislative Day this year was all about reinvestment. Portions of State Hospitals are closing and Medicaid is changing. Money will be saved. We’re hopeful that this will equal more funding for supportive housing and peer employment.
We also want an end to unfair stigmas. In the wake of recent gun tragedies, mental health recipients have become scapegoats. A law was passed in New York State that extended forced treatment for mental health recipients. NYAPRS opposes force and, instead, puts forward the case for more outreach and peer services.
What do I want to see as a result of Legislative Day? I hope when the NYS budget is passed there will be more money for housing and peer employment. I also hope that elected officials will recognize mental health recipients as neighbors, family members, and productive citizens - not the monsters we are, unfortunately, too often portrayed as in the media.
