NYAPRS Note: Representatives of 11 behavioral health advocacy groups have spent the day here in Albany urging state legislative leaders and the Cuomo Administration to fund a workforce increase and cost of living adjustment to address the full on crisis in New York’s community based behavioral health services.
The groups included the Association for Community Living, Coalition for Behavioral Health Agencies, Families Together in NYS, Mental Health Association in New York State, National Alliance on Mental Illness-NYS, New York Association of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers, New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, NYS Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health, NYS Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors, NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare and the Supportive Housing Network of New York.
The crisis in the community systems continue to get growing media coverage: here’s a link to a Capital Newsroom interview that aired last week with MHANYS’ Glenn Liebman and NYAPRS’ Harvey Rosenthal at http://www.wcny.org/march-17-2017-harvey-rosenthal-and-glenn-liebman/.
Our joint advocacy is working! Both legislative houses and the Cuomo Administration acknowledge our cause and may well be taking this up in upcoming 3-way negotiations, a commitment that was shared once more at yesterday’s legislative leaders budget meeting.
We must keep up the pressure! Call your state legislators NOW!
