NYAPRS Note: Just a few minutes ago, a determined group of organizations representing statewide and regional human services nonprofits, including NYAPRS, released the following response to the Executive Budget. Our statement calls on the Cuomo Administration, Senate and Assembly to recognize the critical value and dire conditions in which our groups find ourselves and to commit to an across the board 3% increase for the next five years.
Get ready to participate in a regular series of advocacy actions both in Albany and across the state in the coming days and weeks.
Contacts
MHANYS – Glenn Liebman, gliebman@mhanys.org, (518) 360-7916
Human Services Council – Jennifer Barden, jennifer@risaheller.com, (646) 676-4486
3-for-5 Campaign Response to the Executive Budget
The nonprofit human services sector is eager to work with the Governor and the legislature to ensure that vital investments are made in the sector during the 2020-21 session. Our nonprofit organizations struggle to deliver vital services to their communities. New York State has heard from us time and again that the human services sector is at a breaking point.
Despite an increasing need for these services, the Governor’s executive budget does not include funding necessary for the financial health of human services providers and the millions of people we serve. We recognize previous programmatic and workforce investment, notably the salary increases for direct care workers in the developmental disabilities, mental health, and addiction recovery fields, but more is needed to combat a decade of divestment.
It is more important than ever to make strategic investments in this sector so that we can better serve our communities. More than 40 organizations representing thousands of providers across New York are joining together to ask the Governor and legislature to commit to a three percent increase across rates and contracts each year for the next five years, which is in line with the Governor’s statement that a 3 percent growth rate is projected and reasonable for Medicaid and education.
Human services should be included in that projection, and this 3-for-5 investment is crucial to shoring up lifesaving services in New York.
The 3-for-5 campaign includes the following organizations:
• Association for Community Living
• Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State
• Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies
• Developmental Disabilities Alliance of Western New York
• Families Together in NYS
• Human Services Council
• InterAgency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Inc.
• Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc.
• NAMI New York State
• New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation
• New York Association of Addiction Services and Professionals
• New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, Inc.
• Northern Rivers Family of Services
• NYS Care Management Coalition
• NYS Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health
• NYS Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors, Inc.
• NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
• Self-Advocacy Association of NYS
• Strong Non-Profits
• Supportive Housing Network of New York
• The Arc New York
• The Coalition for Behavioral Health