Nov 13 Albany Meeting Seeks Common Ground on Peer SU & MH Recovery Services

NYAPRS Note: The following comes from the Mental Health Empowerment Project’s Amy Colesante. NYS mental health and addiction recovery peer leaders have joined with OASAS and OMH to win funding from SAMHSA’s BRSS TACS initiative (Bring Recovery to Scale Services Technical Assistance Center Strategy) to find common ground around the implementation of peer to peer services in NY. Two grants of up to $5,000 each will also be awarded to promote “community capacity building for the integration of peer services and provider capacity building for peer integration.” See details below!PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS INVITATON TO YOUR NETWORKS!
As you know, system redesign has opened up a lot of conversations about opportunities to continue and/or expand funding for peer support services in NYS. In an effort to streamline conversations and impact policy about this, a group of partner organizations joined The Office of Mental Health (OMH) and Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and together, received a grant to facilitate dialogue among people from both mental health and substance use peer perspectives to find common ground around the implementation of peer-peer services in NYS. This group is called The BRSS TACS Policy Academy in NYS.
The BRSS TACS Policy Academy vision is: NYS will have a recovery-based wellness system in which peer-peer services will be universally accessible, integrated within a collaborative environment of shared experience and recognized as valuable and equitably reimbursed.
We need the voice of lived experience if we are to fully realize the great potential of peer services in both systems. We are holding a world cafe style community forum to get input, guidance and direction on this important topic. We are holding this event on NOVEMBER 13, 1 PM – 4 PM at The Addiction Care Center of Albany (ACCA), 90 McCarty Avenue (in the Community Education Building.)
Please note that the BRSS Team will be distributing applications for two distinct mini-grant opportunities during the Forum. The mini-grants are for community capacity building for the integration of peer services and provider capacity building for peer integration. Each mini-grant will be awarded up to $5,000. We are excited to be able to offer these resources to assist both communities and providers!
Questions on the event may be directed to SusanBrandau at oasas.ny.gov<mailto:SusanBrandau at oasas.ny.gov> , (518) 485-2107 and registration should be directed to BethAmitai at oasas.ny.gov<mailto:BethAmitai at oasas.ny.gov> (518) 485-1660 no later than November 10. We hope you will join us!!
Thank you!