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NYAPRS Advocacy Priorities, Tuesday’s Advocacy Prep Webinar, Live March 10 Albany Legislative Day; Virtual Advocacy

by The Alliance for Rights and Recovery

NYAPRS Note: Come join NYAPRS Virtual Advocacy Weeks (see corrected dates: February 22-March 4), using the attached letter to request your virtual meetings if you’d like. See details about our priorities, including the attached breakdown of the $500 million investment ask.

Also, please join us on March 10 in Albany at the Well in the Legislative Office Building and raise your voice with your legislators and during a news conference/march (proof of vaccination and mask required, social distancing provided). See schedule details below.

Finally, we’ll be offering two Advocacy Prep Webinars on the next two Tuesdays, from 10:30 to 11:30 (noon if needed).

Use the following link to register and participate: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtdOigpj4vGtK3CMmKyLYhtebsyYLLBrxh

See you next Tuesday! 

COME PARTICIPATE IN NYAPRS LEGISLATIVE DAYS!
February 22-March 4, 2022 (correction from previous announcement)

Save the Date for March 10th Albany Legislative Day 

February 15th and 22nd   10:30 am Advocacy Prep Sessions

NYAPRS will be working with our members to start scheduling virtual zoom advocacy meetings with their state legislators and/or their staff during this year’s NYAPRS Advocacy Weeks, between Tuesday February 22 to Friday March 4.

Below you will find this year’s advocacy priorities. We’ll be organizing 2 Advocacy Prep webinars at 10:30 to Noon on February 15 and February 22 presenting details on each of the issues and suggestions about how to present them to legislators and/or their staff.

See next page for tips around making virtual appointments with you state legislators and/or staff.

We are also organizing for a March 10 Albany Legislative Day from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm in ‘the Well’ in the Legislative Office Building.

  • Attendees are expected to bring proof of vaccination and a mask.

  • The Well is large enough to allow for social distancing for what we expect to be a moderately sized group of NYAPRS self and system advocates.

NYAPRS will be providing a continental breakfast and lunch.

As always, our program will feature presentations from NYAPRS members and friends with guidance on how to present our respective issues to their legislators, followed by some remarks from prominent state officials and a role play of a typical legislative meeting.

Please see the program schedule for that day below. I’ll be sending out detailed summaries about our advocacy priorities for the coming 2022-23 budget and legislative sessions this coming Monday February 14 in advance of Tuesday’s 10:30 webinar.

NYAPRS 2022-23 State Budget Priorities 

  1. Fund Voluntary Outreach, Support Services and Housing First Programs to Address Mental Health Crisis; Oppose Expansion of Kendra’s Law:

    1. Allocate $35 million to create 750 more Housing First supportive housing units

    2. Allocate $2 million to create 4 INSET peer outreach and engagement programs

    3. Allocate $3 million to Create 6 Transitional Peer Bridger Programs for improved hospital discharge planning and follow up

    4. Fund teams of Mental Health/EMT First Responders (Police Alternatives)

    5. Fund additional Crisis Stabilization Centers*

    6. Approve $35 million to Create 9-8-8 Mental Health Hot Line*

    7. Approve $21 million to create Safe Options Support Teams*

  2. Funding For Community Based Behavioral Health Services

    1. Approve 5.4% COLA* and include Health Home Care Management and OTDA Supportive Housing programs, workforce bonuses and remove the “sunset” revision to help ensure that COLAs will be included in all future budgets

    2. $500 million Investment in Behavioral Health Services (see attachment)

    3. Approve reinvestment of $111 million in Unspent Managed Care Behavioral Health $* and approve new competitive managed care re-procurement process*

    4. Approve $65 million to bolster existing housing programs*

    5. Approve $7.7 million for Joseph A. Dwyer Vet Peer Support Services*

  3. Criminal Justice Reforms

    1. Pass Clean Slate (S1553A/A6399) *

    2. Pass Treatment not Jails (S2881B/A8524A)

  4. Adult Home Residents

    1. Protect Adult Home Residents’ Safety and Rights and Promote their Successful Transitions to the Community (A.196/S.1576)

    2. Add $250,000 for Adult Home Residents’ Advocacy

  5. Create a Maternal Mental Health Workgroup (S.7752/A.9085)

* Included in Governor’s Budget  

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NYAPRS 23rd Annual Legislative Day Program
Wednesday March 10, 2022 

Program Schedule

9:30 am    Breakfast 

10:00 am  Welcome Comments  

10:05 am  NYAPRS 20221-2023 NYS Public Policy Priorities 

11:05 am  FEATURED SPEAKERS 

11:30 am  LUNCH 

12:15 pm     NEWS CONFERENCE/MARCH 

1:00 pm      Meetings/Zoom Calls with State Legislators and/or Staff 

3:00 pm    Return Home