This year’s January 28th NYAPRS Albany Legislative Day promises to be one of most important advocacy actions in our history!
This year’s policy agenda continues NYAPRS’ long term commitment to advancing the recovery, rehabilitation, rights and community inclusion of New Yorkers with psychiatric disabilities and the expansion of community recovery supports by reinvesting funds from institutional settings.
Attached you will find our draft 2014 state advocacy priorities that we have identified in consultation with our Public Policy Committee and our members at regional forums across the state. It represents our sense of how we can best respond to what may be proposed this year and is derived from the input of our members from across the state, including regional forums that were held in Newburgh, Hempstead, Brooklyn, Batavia, Saranac Lake, and Syracuse. Thanks to all who contributed such valuable information through those venues.
While we’ll know a lot more about what’s in the budget when it’s released on January 21, we are anticipating a number of pivotal proposals including major commitments to expand community services through state and Medicaid reinvestment initiatives, adult home supported housing beds and downstate supported housing rent increases.
It is critical that we turn out a large group to demonstrate very strong support for such proposals!
Given the range of other interests that might not agree with an emphasis on nonprofit recovery service expansion and the rights of adult home residents, we should be out in force in Albany on January 28th to show our state legislators and the media how strongly we feel that there be no weakening in any of these types of initiatives.
Please note from the day’s schedule that we are asking that our members and friends arrive at 9:30am that morning, so you can pick up your legislative day books, hats, and signs, and enjoy breakfast and coffee with us before our 10am program begins.
Our NYAPRS Regional Coordinators are arranging with our members to sponsor and make available numerous buses to help you join us that day. Currently we have buses committed from Long Island, New York City, Buffalo and Rochester with more expected from Westchester/Hudson Valley, the North Country and possibly the Southern Tier. For more details or to reserve some seats, please check in with our coordinators as listed on the attached flyer.
Look for our January 21st summary of the Governor’s proposals and whether they alter or add to our agenda.
Thanks as always for your strong support for our recovery, rehabilitation, rights and community inclusion agenda! See you on January 28.