[NYAPRS Enews] NYAPRS Statewide Advocacy Forums; Starting Monday in Binghamton

[Matt Canuteson]

NYAPRS Note: Next week NYAPRS is kicking off our yearly Statewide
Advocacy Forums with the first being held on Monday in Binghamton at the
Broome County Public Library. After the vigilance of the mental health
community led to a number of important victories in the midst of last
years difficult budget climate, we need your help to ensure a large
turnout for the upcoming forms. These forums are an important vehicle to
help us gather your input and prepare for another year of statewide
advocacy efforts. The New York State fiscal environment is again going
to be challenging and we will once again have to prepare for a year of
heightened activity. Below you will find a list of the upcoming forums
along with an updated 2009 Budget/Legislative Advocacy Scorecard showing
the outcome of many advocacy issues important to New York's mental
health community.

 

 

NYAPRS 2009 Statewide Advocacy Forums

 

Southern Tier:

July 20th 1pm-3pm Broome County Public Library, 185 Court Street,
Binghamton, New York

Hudson River Region:

July 23rd 1pm-4pm Cornerstone Residence, 111 Broadway, Newburgh, New
York

Long Island:

West: July 27th 10am-12pm South Oaks Hospital, 400 Sunrise Hwy,
Amityville, New York

East: Date/Time TBA, Concern for Housing, 260 West Main Street,
Riverhead, New York

Western Region:

Rochester: August 6th 1pm-3pm MHA Rochester, 320 N. Goodman St.
Rochester, New York

Buffalo: August 6th 9am-12pm Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, 1
Lafayette Square, Buffalo, New York

Central Region:

August 13th 1pm-3pm Onondaga Case Management, 220 Herald Place,
Syracuse, New York

Westchester/Putnam:

August 20th 12pm-3pm White Plains Public Library, 100 Martine Avenue,
White Plains, New York

North Country:

Date/Location TBA

New York City:

Date/Location TBA

 

 

 

 

NYAPRS 2009 Budget/Legislative Advocacy Scorecard

August 2009   State Budget

Issue

Outcome

Protecting The Community Safety Net

Restoring the 1% cut to Community MH Services 

Legislature restored 1% cut to Community Mental Health Programs (no COLA
this  year)

Restoring the proposed $84m cut to New York State's share of SSI

NYAPRS was joined by ACL and MHANYS to lead a  cross disability campaign
that convinced the Legislature and the Governor to restore this funding

Prohibiting the state from claiming state psych center patients' social
security benefits

Legislature rejected this proposal

Keeping The Promise Of Prison Reform

Rejecting efforts to weaken and delay agreements to end the inhumane
solitary confinement of state prisoners with psychiatric disabilities
(SHU  Law)

As a leading member of Mental Health Alternatives to Solitary
Confinement, NYAPRS members helped convince the Legislature to restore
funding and reject this proposal. 

Supporting Initiatives To Advance Employment of People With Disabilities

As founding member of the Campaign for Employment of New Yorkers with
Disabilities, NYAPRS sought a variety of measures to increase
employment. 

*         The Legislature added employment dollars to PROS programs

*         NYS was awarded $6 million federal Medicaid Infrastructure
Grant funds to support the employment of New Yorkers with disabilities 

Advancing New York's Peer Run Services

NYAPRS strongly supported OMH's effort to strengthen NY's peer-run
services by funding a technical assistance center and grants to
"encourage innovation and growth of peer run organizations."

The Legislature approved $1.4 million to boost the role of peer run
Recovery Centers. 

NYAPRS worked with legislative MH committee chairs to introduce
S.5012/A.8165 to create peer crisis/hospital diversion residences. 

Legislation was introduced in the Assembly and Senate, passed out of the
both Senate and Assembly Mental Health Committees

Ensuring The Health and Safety of Adult Home Residents

Restoring funds to support advocacy and support services provided by the
Coalition of Institutionalized Aged And Disabled (CIAD)

Passing a bill (A5681/S3801) preventing AH operators from charging
residents for air conditioning units 

Passing a bill (A.8185/S.3297) toughening enforcement over homes while
seeking to retain state $ to address residents' priorities 

*	CIAD Funding Was Not Restored 
*	A.8185/S.3297 and A.8185/S.3297 did not pass. 
*	A5681/S3801 did pass the Assembly and advocates are currently
pushing for its passage in the Senate

Housing

NYAPRS advocated for expanded access to supported housing

 

The Legislature approved funding for: 

*	1500 new Supported Housing beds ($18 million over multiple
years) 
*	600 community beds for people leaving state hospitals.

Assuring Access To Critically Needed Medications

Protecting open access to antidepressants by keeping them out of the
Medicaid Preferred Drug Program (PDL); Keeping psychiatric medications
out of other restricted access measures like 'Step Therapy' 

As a leading member of Medicaid Matters, NYAPRS members helped convince
the legislature to:

*         Keep antidepressants 'carved out' of the PDL

*         Shore up 'prescriber prevails' protections and exclude
psychiatric meds from the new Step Therapy and 'limits on quantity,
duration' and frequency of Medicaid medications initiatives

*         Reject proposal to eliminate EPIC/Part D Wrap

Restructuring New York's Sex Offender Management Program

NYAPRS supported $14 million in savings claimed by restructuring the
program and called for the state to make much more substantial use of
the community-based intense parole option common in other states 

The Legislature approved $14 million in savings made through modest
restructuring of the program.

August 2009   State Legislative Scorecard

Mental Health Parity/Timothy's Law

As longtime members of the Timothy's Law Campaign, NYAPRS members
campaigned to make Timothy's Law permanent

A permanent Timothy's Law was unanimously approved by the Legislature
and signed into law by the Governor on July 16. 

Parents With Psychiatric Disabilities

NYAPRS and other advocates sought to amend state Social Service Law
permitting termination of parental custody rights due to the presence of
a psychiatric disability 

The Legislature has urged state agency officials and advocates to
negotiate a solution. 

Family Healthcare Decision Act

This legislation identifies a group of individuals who can help guide
medical and end of life decisions on behalf of incapacitated people
(excluding those in OMRDD and OMH licensed inpatient facilities for a
year).  

NYAPRS advocated with Executive and Legislative officials to ensure that
such legislation would not weaken standing strong protections against
psychiatric medications or ECT over the patient's objection. As of now,
this legislation has not been formally considered. 

Strengthening the Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council (MISCC)

NYAPRS has supported amendments to MISCC Law  that would add 3 consumer
and 4 agency seats to the Council & remove the requirement to rotate
MISCC Chairs

This legislation has passed the Assembly; we are working to move it in
the Senate.

 

 

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