[NYAPRS Enews] NYAPRS Releases 2007 Recovery Review

[Harvey Rosenthal]

R E C O V E R Y   R E V I E W   2 0 0 7

 

To:              NYAPRS Members and Friends              January 2, 2008

 

From:          Harvey Rosenthal                       Mathew Mathai

 Executive Director                    Deputy Director

 

As we have look back on the past year, we would like to offer you a
brief review of what we would consider some key highlights and
achievements of 2007. I hope you find that, together, we have once again
achieved a number of advances and victories that we can all treasure and
celebrate.

On behalf of the NYAPRS Board and staff, we look forward to another
dynamic year of dedicated effort to promote the recovery, rehabilitation
and rights of people with psychiatric disabilities.

 

January                

*	Based on input from hundreds of NYAPRS members at 12 regional
forums held in fall-winter 2006, the NYAPRS Public Policy Committee
establishes our 2007 state advocacy priorities, which are shared with
Spitzer Administration and OMH officials.
*	Governor Spitzer releases his first Executive State Budget
including several of NYAPRS member priorities: the 2nd year of a 2.5%
Cost of Living Adjustment for community agencies, 2,000 new community
housing beds and $6 million to improve existing community residential
and another $6 million for existing supported housing programs, $60
million in prison mental health reform measures, in conjunction with
terms of a legal settlement finalized in April and a $35 million
initiative to boost legal services for low income New Yorkers.

 

February

*	NYAPRS 9th Annual Legislative Day draws over 600 mental health
advocates from across the state to press for 2007 state advocacy
priorities and is one of new OMH Commissioner Michael Hogan's first
introductions to New York's mental health community.
*	NYAPRS helps support Annual Albany Speakout by adult home
residents with psychiatric disabilities.
*	NYAPRS members, separately and in coalition with other groups,
engage in a series of call-in drives and Albany and local meetings with
legislators to press for our priorities. 

 

March 

*	The NYAPRS Collective holds a series of 'Getting Your Voice
Heard' regional forums across the state featuring presentations on
person centered planning and from representatives of the Commission on
Quality of Care and Advocacy for People with Disabilities and OMH's
Bureau of Recipient Affairs.
*	State leaders reach agreement on legislation establishing a
civil commitment status for sex offenders in state prisons that, as an
improvement from previous proposals, more clearly and tightly defines
those who can be confined in OMH facilities, creates an alternative
level of Intensive Community Supervision and establishes a new Bureau of
Sex Offender Management to direct broad state policy in this area.

 

April

*	The NYS Legislature approves the 2007 State Budget. The
Legislature includes several NYAPRS members' priorities in the final
agreement, including $850,000 for services and supports for Parents With
Psychiatric Disabilities, $2 million establishing 2 Centers of
Excellence in Cultural And Linguistic Competence, $500,000 for community
mental health services 'emergency fund' and the Restoration Of the
Antidepressant Exemption from NY's Medicaid Preferred Drug program 
*	The NYAPRS Board holds a special spring meeting identifying a
'Transformation Blueprint', highlighting themes including employment,
peer crisis diversion, self directed care and cultural and linguistic
competence.

 

May

*	Deputy Director Mat Mathai provides technical assistance on the
NYAPRS Peer Bridger model to groups in Alabama and North Dakota.
*	The NYAPRS Collective hosts 5 regional presentations aimed at
assisting individuals to successfully apply for USPRA's Certified
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner credential (CPRP) with Andy
Kohlbrenner.
*	Harvey Rosenthal leads a national forum on Self Directed Care at
the annual USPRA Conference in Orlando featuring presenters from
Vermont, Iowa, Florida and Oregon.

 

June

*	The NYS Legislature approves several of NYAPRS members'
legislative priorities, including the 'SHU Bill' mandating treatment
alternatives to solitary confinement for prisoners with psychiatric
disabilities (a revised version supported by both houses and the
Governor is negotiated and passes the Senate; while fully supportive,
the Assembly is not able to act on later in 2007, but promises to pass
it promptly next session) and the Housing Wait List Bill, which is
subsequently vetoed by the Governor.
*	The NYAPRS Collective brings its 3rd Annual Executive Seminar to
Albany and engages over 200 attendees in themes including new federal
and state Medicaid trends, integrated behavioral and physical health,
cultural competence and person-centered recovery services. 
*	The Collective, in collaboration with MHANYS and OMH,
co-sponsors "NYS Partnership for Employment: The Competitive Edge of
Recruiting Job-Seekers with Psychiatric Disabilities," a day conference
at the Columbia-Greene Community College on June 19.
*	The Collective also helps to support the June 26th first New
York City Peer Specialist Conference.

 

July

*	Under the leadership of OMRDD Commissioner Diana Ritter, NY's
Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council (MISCC) establishes housing
and transportation task forces and, in October, reveals plans to also
establish a group dedicated to advancing cross disability employment
initiatives. A commitment is also made to collect and update data
demonstrating agency efforts in each of these 3 areas. Harvey Rosenthal
is a MISCC member.
*	Commissioner Hogan taps the Campaign for Behavioral Health
Transformation, in which NYAPRS is an active member, to be an OMH MISCC
stakeholder group.

 

August

*	Mat Mathai represents the NYAPRS Peer Bridger Project at an
International Conference on Peer Run Crisis Alternatives held in New
Hampshire.

 

September 

*	NYAPRS members select new Board President-Elects (terms to begin
September 2008) Robyn Krueger from Community Missions in Niagara Falls
and Bill Sullivan from the Mental Health Association in Essex County in
Westport. 
*	The NYS Office of Mental Health, in response to concerns raised
by numerous groups including NYAPRS reps, releases guidelines limiting
the use of involuntary electroconvulsive treatment. 
*	Matthew Canuteson begins as NYAPRS Policy Specialist, working to
advance NYAPRS grassroots and statewide advocacy and regional leadership
efforts.

 

October

*	The NYAPRS Silver Anniversary Conference draws over 900
attendees to a passionate celebration of our community's efforts to
advance recovery, rehabilitation and rights across New York over the
past 25 years. Featured speakers include Bill Anthony, Dan Fisher, Shery
Mead, Jacki McKinney and a special commemorative review led by founding
NYAPRS President Jeannie Straussman.
*	NYAPRS staff and Cultural Competence Committee members present
at First Latino Mental Health Conference in New York City on October 13.

*	The NYAPRS Employment Committee helps launch a Campaign for
Employment for New Yorkers with Disabilities in meeting with Spitzer
Administration officials.
*	After almost a decade of dedicated service, Helen Burns retires
from the NYAPRS support team.
*	Kim Eisen, NYAPRS first MSW graduate intern (SUNY Albany), joins
efforts to expand Timothy's Law to cover individuals with Post Traumatic
Stress Disorders.

 

November

*	NYAPRS President Teena Brooks delivers NYAPRS testimony to a NYC
Council mental health committee hearing on November 7th, urging improved
outreach and alternatives to coercive, stigmatizing approaches.
*	Mat Canuteson and Harvey Rosenthal help staff the November 13th
NYC Consumer Forum introducing new NYC Mental Hygiene Commissioner David
Rosin.
*	The Collective co-sponsors a 2-day training on Person Centered
Planning with Dr Neal Adams and Diane Grieder in NYC, in partnership
with the Center for Rehabilitation and Recovery, OMH and the NYC
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 

 

December

*	The Collective co-sponsors 2nd Annual Nassau County
Rehabilitation and Recovery "Hope Conference" on Long Island featuring
Commissioner Hogan, Joe Marrone and Mat Mathai as keynote speakers. 
*	OMH raises Medicaid rates and non Medicaid funding for PROS
rehabilitation licensed programs, in keeping with recommendations from
NYAPRS PROS Task Force.

 

 

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