From bomalley at mhanys.org Mon Nov 3 09:58:34 2003 From: bomalley at mhanys.org (Bryan O'Malley) Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 09:58:34 -0500 Subject: [Timothy's Team] Timothy's Law Update for November 3 Message-ID: <001001c3a21a$f4b3a850$8901a8c0@MHA> Untitled DocumentSaturday, November 1 marked 150 days since the Assembly has passed Timothy's Law, and still no action has been taken by the Senate. To put this in perspective, next week, the day after your local elections take place, while politicians are celebrating their wins and commiserating about their losses, parents and children in need of mental health and chemical dependency services will continue to face discrimination in obtaining these services. Parents just like the O'Clairs, like Debra Graham, and thousands of others throughout New York have waited 5 months in political limbo, waiting for the Senate to pass Timothy's Law so that they or their loved ones can access the services they need to be healthy, happy, contributing members of society. Of course, this also means that for 150 days, all of you have been out there giving everything you have, and more, telling the Senate that they need to pass Timothy's Law. You have been pounding the pavement. You have been contacting your Senators. You have been attending rallies. You have been communicating with your friends about the importance of Timothy's Law. You have been doing all this and more, and it is starting to show. Senators from throughout the state are beginning to feel the pressure. They are hearing the stories. They are hearing from constituents and finding out that this is not a problem that is limited to the O'Clair family in Schenectady. However, the fact that our message is beginning to be heard does not mean that we can relax. We are all frustrated at the inaction. But now that our voice is being heard, now that we are being listened to, we need to yell louder. We need to tell our stories again. We need to ensure that Senators hear from us, and know that we expect them to act, and we will not accept anything less than Timothy's Law. With this in mind, I am going to share with you upcoming campaign events. As always, there are events going on throughout the state. We hope that you can make one of them. If you are planning an event, we would like to help you publicize it. Let us know, and we will get it on the list to make sure everyone knows. Upcoming "Timothy's Law" events: ? On Wednesday, November 5, at 2:00 p.m., New York City Councilman David Weprin will be holding a press conference announcing his introduction of a resolution in the New York City Council calling upon the NYS Senate to pass Timothy?s Law. The press conference will be held on the steps of City Hall in Manhattan. If you don't know, City Hall is located in Downtown Manhattan, in between Center St. and Broadway, just across from the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. Specific times for the event are not available yet, keep tuned to www.timothyslaw.org for more details. ? On Tuesday, November 11, 2003, the Erie County Child Mental Health Consortium, Erie County Network, Inc., and others will be holding a rally in Buffalo at the Unitarian Universalist Church located at 695 Elmwood Ave (At the corner of West Ferry St.) The rally will feature Tom and Donna O'Clair and will begin at 12:00 noon. For more information, please review the attached flyer. ? On Thursday, November 13, 2003, there will be a mental health awareness and education program in the auditorium of John C. Birdlebough High School in Phoenix, NY, approximately 15 minutes northwest of Syracuse. The event will begin at 7:00 p.m. The event is open to the public and is intended for junior high and high school faculty, students and their parents. This is an opportunity for individuals to learn about these vital topics that too often exist behind a shroud of secrecy. Topics of discussion will include mental health education, Timothy's Law, teen suicide, suicide prevention, and information on the stigma associated with mental illness and eating disorders. Other topics of relevance will also be discussed. A number of guest speakers will be in attendance, including Tom O ?Clair. Senators from throughout Central New York have also been invited to attend. A flyer for the event has been attached to this e-mail. ? Literature drops and petition drives are continuing in areas throughout the state. Currently, literature is being distributed in the Watertown area and the Capital District. Drops are in the development stages for the Syracuse area, Buffalo, and Binghamton. Literature drops are a fun and easy way to get some exercise, spend a morning outside, and spread the word about Timothy's Law. If you would like to volunteer to help pass out materials in one of the areas currently distributing literature, you may contact Elizabeth Patience in Watertown at elizabethp at nrcil.org or Mary Jean Coleman in the Capital District at mjcsolo at aol.com. You can sign up to help with the literature drop effort in Buffalo at the rally on November 11, or in Syracuse at the rally on the 13th. If you would like to organize a literature drop in your area, it is easy. We have materials and can help get volunteers. To find out more about beginning a literature drop in your area, e-mail bomalley at mhanys.org. Again, thanks for all of your continued efforts and support. We would not be where we are today without your assistance. The groundswell of support hat has arisen this year in support of Timothy's Law has been incredible, and it is because of this that the Senate will ultimately be forced pass Timothy's Law. Refer A Friend Friend's Name: Friend's Email: Your Name: Your Email: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bomalley at mhanys.org Fri Nov 14 11:48:32 2003 From: bomalley at mhanys.org (Bryan O'Malley) Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 11:48:32 -0500 Subject: [Timothy's Team] Timothy's Law Update 11/14/2003 Message-ID: <001601c3aacf$26362260$8901a8c0@MHA> Untitled DocumentIt has been another big week for Timothy's Law. Last Wednesday, NYC Councilman David Weprin introduced a resolution in front of the NYC Council calling on the NYS Senate to pass Timothy's Law. That was followed this Tuesday by an enormously successful event in Buffalo, which attracted about 300 people. This growing tide of support is proof that the longer the Senate drags the fight for Timothy's Law out, the stronger we become. Unfortunately, weather was not so kind to those who worked so hard to organize the mental health awareness meeting in Phoenix on Thursday. Snow, high winds and power outages forced the cancellation of that event. I doubt that ever is an issue in the other Phoenix. When we know more about its rescheduled date, we will alert you. Supporters of Timothy's Law are making an unprecedented effort to pass this legislation. Never before have we seen such tireless advocacy on the part of so many. In June, when the Senate recessed for the year, they expected this issue to go away until January, when they reconvened. What they did not expect was that you would not let it go away. They certainly did not expect that by going back to their district without passing this vital legislation you would be energized that much more. But you have proven them wrong. You have created a strong presence in Senate districts through the state. Senators from Long Island to Buffalo, and all points in between, have heard from their constituents about the need for Timothy's Law. They have had to dodge questions time and again about why Timothy's Law has not been passed. They are feeling the pressure, and they want it to stop. Which means just one thing. Our actions have been working. Thanks to your efforts throughout the state, Senators are listening. Now, as we enter winter and brace for the coming cold, we need to ensure that the Senators continue to feel the heat. We will continue to fight, and if need be, we will hold them accountable next year at the polls. The Timothy's Law Campaign is currently collecting petitions for Timothy's Law. A copy of the petition is attached. We are hoping to deliver the petitions to Senator Bruno the next time that the Senate is in Session, which remains in limbo at this point. Please take two minutes to fill out the petition and send it on to friends, coworkers and family. The more we are able to gather, the greater the effect will be when they are received by the Senate. These petitions should also be available on the Timothy's Law website soon. You may find them there by visiting the site at www.timothyslaw.org. Meanwhile, please review the attached resolution. Contact your County Legislator or Town Councilman and ask them to introduce and pass a similar measure in your town. If they agree, let us know, and we can help you publicize it. We will also keep track of all the resolutions so that we can bring them to the Senate to show them the broad statewide support in a different manner. Thanks, and as always, keep up the fight and help spread the word. You can use the form below to send your friends an invitation to join Timothy's Team, helping to grow the movement to end discrimination against individuals living with mental illness. Refer A Friend Friend's Name: Friend's Email: Your Name: Your Email: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: NYC Resolution.doc Type: application/msword Size: 25088 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: petition to bruno.doc Type: application/msword Size: 245760 bytes Desc: not available URL: From bomalley at mhanys.org Wed Nov 26 12:13:09 2003 From: bomalley at mhanys.org (Bryan O'Malley) Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 12:13:09 -0500 Subject: [Timothy's Team] Thanksgiving update for Timothy's Law - Giving thanks for all we've achieved Message-ID: <002801c3b440$91a879b0$8901a8c0@MHA> Untitled Document As we prepare for Thanksgiving, the Timothy's Law Coalition would like to take a few moments to reflect on this past year and recount all of the things we have to be thankful for. This past year, we have been able to move the bill further than ever, picking up 33 co-sponsors in the Senate. This has been largely due to two reasons. The tireless efforts of the O'Clair family; who have sacrificed tremendously over the past year, traveling throughout the state to tell their story to anyone that will listen, helping those who find themselves in similar situations and cannot see a way out, and basically doing whatever they need to do in order to ensure that no other families have to live with the tragedy that befell them. The other primary reason that this movement has spurred such great success this year is because of you and your efforts. Supporters such as yourself have found a new dedication to this issue, and are taking to the streets, the television networks, local radio stations, and your local newspaper outlets to spread the word about Timothy's Law. You have made your voice heard in the community, demanding that your Senator "Pass Timothy's Law Now!" Basically, you have built and maintained the Timothy's Law movement. While we have yet to achieve our goal of ending the discrimination faced by those living with mental illness or chemical dependency, we have raised the level of awareness to the issue, and we have created a groundswell that will translate into success. We merely have to maintain the pressure, and let our Senators know that we will not go away until they have done their job. Currently, we in TLC are planning our strategy for the upcoming year here in Albany, and I have heard from many of you that you too are in the planning stages of events throughout the state in your own cities and towns. Ultimately, this is the reason we have proven so successful. This is no longer an effort driven by a few paid professionals. This is now an effort that is driven by the folks out in the community. You have taken control of this campaign and are turning it into your own effort. You are planning the events, we are merely publicizing them. This momentum has carried all of us, and it will ultimately carry Timothy's Law to the Governor's desk for his signature. This Thanksgiving, we are also thankful for all of the families who have come forward to tell their story. Since the O'Clair's have come forward, so many of you have joined them to share with the community your own fights. You have courageously stood up and told your stories, highlighting the importance of Timothy's Law, and the tragedy and hardship that the current discriminatory system inflicts upon families. You are the real heroes of this fight, and you deserve special recognition for your efforts. A few quick notes about two current activities: a.. The Mental Health Educational Seminar originally planned for November 13, has been rescheduled for December 11 at 7:00 p.m. This event had to be cancelled the first time around due to a major storm in the Syracuse/Phoenix area that led to whiteout conditions, power outages, and many accidents due to high wind. The rescheduled event will again take place at John C. Birdlebough High School in Phoenix, NY. Topics of discussion for the evening will be mental health awareness, Timothy's Law, depression, eating disorders, and other relevant fields. Several speakers are slated for the event, including Tom and Donna O'Clair and Miss New York State Jessica Lynch. For more information about this event or directions, please contact Ophelia?s Place at 315-451-5544 (daytime), or Debra Graham at 315-695-2201 (evening). b.. If you have not yet sent in your petition supporting Timothy's Law, please take a few minutes now to do so. A copy of the petition is attached to this e-mail. Petitions will be gathered and delivered to Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno sometime early next year. We want to have as many as we ca, to drive home the widespread support for this issue. Thanks to all of you for everything, and Happy Thanksgiving. And as always, your help in spreading the word about Timothy's Law is greatly appreciated. By sending this e-mail onto your friends, you can help this movement grow. Refer A Friend Friend's Name: Friend's Email: Your Name: Your Email: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: petition to bruno.doc Type: application/msword Size: 245760 bytes Desc: not available URL: