Email | Print

On October 21st, 50 mental health consumers came together to voice our opinions on what matters most to our community. Our opinions will shape the priorities that NYAPRS (New York Association of Rehabilitation Services) will focus on for this legislative season. Meetings like this are going on throughout the state.

Harvey Rosenthal, Executive Director of NYAPRS, was in NYC to help us voice our opinions. Harvey talked to us about the progress of various concerns in the legislature. Then the audience was asked to list what issues were close to our hearts. After everyone spoke we voted on what the five most important issues were to us.

Housing issues got the most votes. About half the room voted for the SHU issue (an end to solitary confinement of prisoners with psychiatric disabilities). The SHU vote probably got a boost from a speech made by the well spoken peer advocate Raymond Ortiz.

Other issues of importance to consumers included:

parity for mental health needs (Timothy's Law);
adult home reform (including an increase in personal needs allowance for residents and money for clothing);
open access to medications; and
oversight of electroconvulsive therapy.

On January 27th, 2004 NYAPRS will be going to Albany to educate our elected officials on NYAPRS' mental health concerns. We will get up early in the morning, get on a comfortable bus, enjoy a scenic ride, pile into an auditorium filled with 700-800 mental health consumers to hear a few short motivational speeches and then meet in groups of four to seven with members of the State Assembly and State Senate.

There will be two Pre-Lobby Day Trainings, held from 2:00pm-5:00pm at the Hunter School of Social Work, 129 East 79th Street, on both December 17th and January 14th. All are welcome. If you are interested in a memorable empowering experience to lift your spirits in January call Vuka at (212) 780-1400, ext. 792.