[NYAPRS Enews] NYAPRS Honors 2010 Award Winners for Efforts to Promote Recovery, Rehabilitation and Rights

[Harvey Rosenthal]

NYAPRS Announces 2010 Annual Award Winners

 

Each year, the Board of Directors and staff of the New York Association
of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) honors special
contributions and efforts that advance our mission to promote the
recovery, rehabilitation and rights of people with psychiatric
disabilities across the state and nation. We're very pleased to announce
this year's award winners in the following release. 

The awards will be given at the NYAPRS Annual Conference, to be held
this year at the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson from September 22-4
(see www.nyaprs.org for more details). 

 

BRENDAN NUGENT LEADERSHIP AWARD   Lauren Tenney

The Brendan Nugent Leadership Award is presented to an inspiring peer
leader for promoting and advocating for the empowerment of people with
psychiatric disabilities in New York State.  It is named in honor of a
noted grassroots peer advocacy leader who organized New York City-based
peer advocacy, rallies and demonstrations in the 1990's. 

This year's awardee Lauren Tenney has been involved with the youth and
adult user and psychiatric survivor movements since 1992. In recent
years, Lauren's leadership has helped We The People's efforts to stop
forced psychiatric procedures and protest human rights violations and
abuse a visible, powerful force in New York City, New York State and
nationally (see  <http://www.TheOpalProject.org> www.TheOpalProject.org
and  <http://www.noioc.org/> www.NoIOC.org). 

 

FRANCES OLIVERO ADVOCACY AWARD   Tina Swatkowski

The Frances Olivero Advocacy Award is presented to an individual who has
demonstrated inspiring community leadership and unique contributions in
advocacy around a particular issue on behalf of New Yorkers with
psychiatric disabilities. It is named after the Fountain House leader
who helped us win passage of the 2000 MTA Half Fare Fairness Act.

This year's award winner, Tina Swatkowski, has worked tirelessly for
enhanced rights and supports for parents with psychiatric disabilities
in her work at Catholic Charities of Oswego County, the Peer Networking
Group of CNY and in conjunction with MHANYS' Supporting Parents with
Psychiatric Disabilities Project. She recently led two public
demonstrations on behalf of legislation that would boost the custodial
rights of parents with psychiatric disabilities. 

 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD    Susan Stefan   Michael Friedman

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual who has a
long record of exemplary contributions to the recovery, rehabilitation
and rights of people with psychiatric disabilities. 

This year, NYAPRS is honoring two special individuals: 

Susan Stefan: Susan has long been regarded as one of the nation's most
highly regarded experts in mental disability law. She has litigated
important ADA cases and authored landmark books on disability rights,
employment discrimination and emergency room treatment. She is a former
Board Vice President and long time member of the National Association
for Rights Protection and Advocacy. 

Michael Friedman: Michael recently retired from a long and extraordinary
professional career of exemplary service to New York's mental health
community as a community mental health provider and administrator and as
a widely acclaimed advocacy leader with the Mental Health Action Network
and founder of successful recently formed coalitions representing
seniors and veteran groups with psychiatric disabilities. He's also long
been a staple at NYAPRS Annual Legislative Days, teaching thousands the
art of successful legislative advocacy. 

 

MARTY SMITH MEMORIAL AWARD  Putnam Family and Community Services

The Marty Smith Memorial Award is presented to a uniquely inspired and
dedicated provider who has demonstrated exemplary contributions to the
advancement of best practices in service to New Yorkers with psychiatric
disabilities. It is named in honor of founding director of one of New
York's earliest clubhouse programs, Bridges in Watertown, NY. 

In its relatively short history of building on what were Putnam County
operated mental health services in 1997, Putnam Family and Community
Services has emerged as one of the state's most progressive and
comprehensive community mental health agencies. It has offered
innovative recovery, community and person-centered services to a broad
spectrum of individuals and families of different ages, ethnic
backgrounds and needs, including a highly recognized new 'PROSper' PROS
program (http://www.pfcsinc.org/). 

 

PARTNERS WITH FAMILIES AWARD                Lorraine McMullin  

The Partners with Families Award is presented to an individual who has
demonstrated inspiring leadership in the advancement of the alliance of
families and consumers in promoting the recovery, rehabilitation and
rights of people with psychiatric disabilities.    

As director of the Mental Health Association in New York State's
(MHANYS) Parents with Psychiatric Disabilities Initiative, Lorraine has
led the charge for advancing the rights of parents with psychiatric
disabilities, with a special recent focus on policy work to reduce
unjust terminations of parental rights. Under her leadership, MHANYS and
NYAPRS are partnering to promote enhanced self help and treatment
supports in the innovative OMH Supporting Parents with Psychiatric
Disabilities Initiative
(http://www.mhanys.org/programs/pwpd/SPWPD_20100326_Description.pdf). 

 

PUBLIC EDUCATION/MEDIA AWARD    Legislative Gazette

The Public Education/Media Award is presented to an individual or media
organization that has demonstrated extraordinary public education
efforts that advance the needs of and/or that highlight the
accomplishments of New Yorkers with psychiatric disabilities.  

Over the past two decades, the Legislative Gazette has regularly
afforded our mental health community positive, prominent coverage of our
public policy concerns or agenda in a fair, accurate and often helpful
manner on a wide variety of issues ranging from entitlement and services
funding to legislation extending Medicaid work incentives and advancing
voluntary alternatives to forced outpatient treatment
(http://www.legislativegazette.com/). 

 

PUBLIC POLICY LEADERSHIP AWARD    Senator Thomas Morahan

The Public Policy Leadership Award is presented to a legislator who has
demonstrated outstanding public leadership on behalf of New Yorkers with
psychiatric disabilities.  

With our most heartfelt appreciation, NYAPRS is honoring the
extraordinary leadership afforded our community over the past decade by
NYS Senator Thomas Morahan who, as Chairman of the Mental Health and
Developmental Disabilities Committee, supported countless funding and
legislative initiatives, including the passage of Timothy's Law and
several instances where he supported our efforts to push for voluntary
alternatives to involuntary outpatient commitment. 

 

FAITH & FELLOWSHIP AWARD    Chris Warden

The Jason Brody Award is presented to an individual who has been an
extraordinary source of kindness, caring and devotion to people within
their mental health community.

As Advocacy Coordinator for Erie County's Action for Mental Health,
Chris Warden has garnered enthusiastic appreciation and praise for his
committed, caring efforts to advance the rights and healing of people
with psychiatric disabilities via his training and advocacy work in the
region. His unique approach is based on his 20 years of practice as an
Aikido instructor, emphasizing the choices and personal power that's
available to each of us. 

 

QUINCY BOYKIN MEMORIAL AWARD    Lisa Ortega and Rights for Imprisoned
People with Psychiatric Disabilities

The Quincy Boykin award is presented to a person in heartfelt
recognition of your inspiring contributions to the recovery,
empowerment, integration and inclusion of all New Yorkers with
psychiatric disabilities. It is named in honor of the legendary leader
for civil rights and for the rights and recovery of people with
psychiatric disabilities who went on to serve as Director of Consumer
Affairs for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.  

NYAPRS honors the extraordinary efforts of Lisa Ortega and RIPPD, a
grassroots, direct action organization united to demand justice and
social change for imprisoned people with psychiatric disabilities
(http://rippd.org/justice/). RIPPD's efforts to fight for humane
treatment for all regardless of race, class or sexual identity is
critical to their commitment to end discrimination and dehumanization in
the criminal justice system.

 

PRESIDENT'S AWARD    Richard Jaros

On behalf of our entire Board and Staff, NYAPRS Presidents Robyn Krueger
and Bill Sullivan are very pleased to acknowledge the immeasurable and
inspiring contributions Dick Jaros has afforded our community, our
mission and the NYAPRS organization. In doing so, we're joined by
countless NYAPRS members who've shared in his wise counsel and tireless
efforts to promote our community's cause.

 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S AWARD    Kim and Gerry Smith

NYAPRS' Harvey Rosenthal is extending the NYAPRS' community's deep
personal appreciation for the decades of dedicated leadership offered by
Kim, as Program Director for the Northern Regional Center for
Independent Living, and her husband Gerry, a past NYAPRS Vice President
who was a founding member of Bridges Clubhouse back in the 1980's. 

 

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