For Immediate Release
Contact: Leanne Ricchiuti, Overit for Association for Community Living, 518.222.8073

January 10, 2023

STATEMENT

Association For Community Living Applauds Governor Kathy Hochul’s Commitment to Mental Health Housing

Nearly $1 Billion Dedicated to New Mental Health Housing, over Five Years

(Albany, N.Y.) – The Association for Community Living (ACL) applauds the Governor for including mental health housing in this year’s State of the State Address. Governor Kathy Hochul has made returning capital funding to the Office of Mental Health a priority with the announcement to develop 3,500 new units of mental health housing over the next five years. This housing will be specific to those in mental health recovery, serving a broad spectrum of those in need.

ACL Executive Director Sebrina Barrett delivers the following statement in response to Governor Hochul’s State of the State address:

“ACL and its members are incredibly thankful for the advances the state has made in mental health housing under the leadership of Governor Hochul. This new investment is an unprecedented move that demonstrates significant support for New Yorkers with severe mental illness. This is a clear illustration of Governor Hochul’s understanding that housing is the foundation to recovery. Moreover, New York State’s recent increased support in funding for existing housing in the midst of rising inflation and workforce shortages is essential to ensuring that those with severe, persistent mental illness will maintain in their home and continue on their recovery.

While today’s announcement is an important advancement for the future, as Governor Hochul and her team prepare to put forward the SFY 2023-24 state budget, we urge them to remember the nearly 40,000 people currently working towards recovery who need more help now. Despite the 5.4% cost of living (COLA) increase in the enacted SFY 2022-23 state budget, many issues are still creating enhanced challenges for our member providers; these include aging residents with multiple significant medical issues, staffing shortages, inflation, and competitive pay. We need to meet the needs of those living in these homes now.

Particularly pressing is the fact that more than 40% of our residents, who are age 55 and older, are experiencing more than 166 medical challenges, which our current program and staffing model is not equipped to handle. There is nowhere else for these residents to get the care they need, as nursing homes are not able to meet both the mental health and medical challenges they are facing, and home health care providers are suffering the same workforce challenges plaguing other service sectors. We must find answers soon; these aging residents deserve the chance to age with dignity, comfortably, and gracefully in their homes, and we look forward to working with Governor Hochul and others to develop solutions during this legislative session. We are hopeful that the new housing investment will take into account enhancements, and perhaps a new model, needed to serve our aging residents.

We look to the Governor and the Legislature to enact an 8.5% COLA increase in this year’s budget, as well as to address the $96 million shortfall in funding for existing residential programs. After nearly 40 years of underfunding, last year’s budget commitment was a welcome bandaid that provided a measure of relief. We are excited to work with the Governor, the Legislature, and the Office of Mental Health to ensure this new major investment takes into account all aspects of residents’ needs in order to effect serious change, enhance and modernize these decades-old housing models, and provide the most vulnerable residents of New York with the housing and tools they need for successful recovery.”

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Leanne Ricchiuti, Overit for Association for Community Living, 518.222.8073
February 14, 2022

STATEMENT

Association For Community Living Executive Director’s Testimony at Joint Senate & Assembly Budget Hearing on Mental Hygiene

(Albany, N.Y.) – The Association for Community Living (ACL) Executive Director, Sebrina Barrett, delivered the following testimony at Monday’s Joint Senate & Assembly Budget Hearing on Mental Hygiene.

“ACL is very pleased with the proposed budget, and it’s important for Legislators to understand that if passed, this will be the first budget–since the implementation of these housing funding models–to make such a significant difference in funding for mental health housing providers. Just last week, ACL delivered Valentines to legislators reminding them to “show the love” by passing the budget proposal.

Housing is the foundation for recovery–without this first crucial step, none of the rest of the successes can happen.”

“I am Sebrina Barrett, executive director of the Association for Community Living. Thank you to Senator Krueger, Assemblywoman Weinstein, and the chairs and members of the Senate and Assembly Mental Health committees for this opportunity to testify. Our members provide community-based mental health housing for more than 40,000 New Yorkers with severe mental illness, who are working toward recovery and independence.

On this Valentines Day, let me begin by saying we love the proposed Executive Budget as it pertains to funding for mental health housing, which has been underfunded for decades.

Specifically, we support the two-year commitment of $104 million for Office of Mental Health community-based mental health housing; the 5.4% COLA for human services; the funding to support 988; and the property pass-through for supported housing, which will ensure that as rent costs rise, we won’t have to rob resources needed for support services to pay rent and keep residents in their homes.

In these challenging times, the word “unprecedented” has been used a lot to express circumstances that otherwise defy description. After seeing this proposed budget, I’ve heard colleagues who have been in the field for decades characterize these new dollars as unprecedented. And they are.

But I prefer the term “game-changer” because if these funds become reality, housing providers may, for the first time in decades, be able to move from feeling helpless to hopeful; from anticipating crisis to embracing certainty; from struggling to survive to seeing programs thrive.

And for our weary and dedicated frontline staff, and to our resilient residents—these funds say that they are seen after decades of underfunding; it says they matter, their work matters, recovery matters; mental health matters. And so we thank Governor Hochul, and urge that these allocations be fully funded in the final budget.

For years, we’ve advocated for modernization of the mental health housing models, some of which were created nearly 40 years ago. We have compared program costs, workforce demands and client needs. In short: Costs have risen substantially; clients need a higher level of care due to multiple co-occurring mental and physical conditions; and we can no longer pay staff a living wage, leading to severe workforce shortages. First, let’s look at costs—since the 80s: health insurance has risen more than 740%; fuel has risen from $1.16 a gallon to $3.49 a gallon; it costs about $50 today to buy the same amount of food that $20 bought in the 80s. Rent has skyrocketed. Not to mention new costs related to technology, security, privacy, and, with the pandemic, PPE, tests, and cleaning supplies.

Second, today’s residents require 12-15 daily medications, up from one or two in the 80s, and they face multiple co-occurring medical conditions, in addition to mental illness and substance use disorder.

We recently surveyed our members to gather information about the growing number of residents who are aging in place—more than 40% of our residents are age 55 and over, and they are experiencing a total of 166 different medical conditions. Highest reported included: hypertension, diabetes, COPD, heart disease, arthritis, cancer and dementia. For most of these individuals, transition to assisted living or a nursing home isn’t an option — nursing homes won’t admit residents with a severe mental illness, and even if they would, they aren’t able to address ongoing mental health and substance use disorder needs of the population served.

As the aging population in mental health community-based housing continues to grow, we must equip agencies with the resources needed to care for the residents they have been serving for decades. More than 75% of the housing providers who responded to our survey stated that they are not equipped to assist their residents with their aging medical concerns. They need nursing staff, on-site health aids, ADA compliant space to assist with mobility, additional staff training and better pay for staff.

Finally, our members have reported a near 25% average staff vacancy rate statewide, with some programs having as much as a 50-60% vacancy rate. At the same time, members reported the number of staff who couldn’t come to work due to illness, vacation, childcare and other issues. That brought the staff unavailability average to more than 34%—meaning 1 in 3 staff could not report to work —and this was before Omicron impacted the workforce.

Since the 80s, the work has gotten more challenging, but the pay has diminished. In the 80s, our staff made 2-3 times what was then minimum wage; today, many of our direct care staff make just minimum wage. They can’t afford rent, food, childcare and healthcare—and for the past two years, they have put their lives at risk to care for others. Our members report that they are seeing fewer qualified applicants, a sharp increase in interview no-shows, and senior-level staff are setting aside their normal duties to fill direct care shifts and keep the doors open. This is unsustainable, and the funding in this proposed budget is crucial to the ability for these programs to survive.

For these reasons, we strongly urge the allocations in the Executive Budget be fully funded. In addition, we encourage you to include S.7643/A.9200 in Article VII, which would extend a tax credit to workers in Mental Hygiene programs.. This would assist providers in the recruitment and retention of direct care staff. Further, we also support our colleagues in the behavioral health community seeking full funding of the $500 million needed in the behavioral health system. Thank you.”

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February 14, 2022

Association for Community Living (ACL) delivered Bring It Home Valentine’s Day cards to legislators last week ahead of the Joint Legislative Hearing on Mental Hygiene on February 14th at 11:00 a.m., regarding the proposed Legislative Budget.

ACL is very pleased with the proposed budget, and it’s important for Legislators to understand that if passed, this will be the first budget–since the implementation of these housing funding models–to make such a significant difference in funding for mental health housing providers.

Housing is the foundation for recovery–without this first crucial step, none of the rest of the successes can happen.

ACL leadership and members are available to speak with media upon request about why these Valentines are necessary to remind legislators to “show the love.”

For Immediate Release
Contact: Leanne Ricchiuti, Overit for Association for Community Living, 518.222.8073
January 18, 2022

STATEMENT

Association For Community Living Executive Director’s Statement in Response to Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget

(Albany, N.Y.) – The Association for Community Living (ACL) Executive Director, Sebrina Barrett, delivers the following statement in response to Governor Kathy Hochul’s Executive Budget for FY 2023, released today.

“ACL’s members and I are thrilled to see that the Governor has recognized the need due to decades of underfunding and has prioritized mental health housing by allocating the necessary funding to support Office of Mental Health (OMH) residential programs, so that more New Yorkers can reach their recovery goals.

In addition to funding the 5.4% human services Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), the Executive Budget makes a two-year commitment of an additional $104 million to increase support for existing community-based residential programs – $65 million in FY 2023 and $39 million in FY 2024 – and includes legislation to extend property pass-through provisions to include OMH supported housing.

Our members’ staff have served, and continue to serve, on the frontline throughout this pandemic facing extraordinary challenges and demands, and it is time they and the residents receive the much needed help they deserve.

In addition to recognizing the housing needs, we applaud the Governor for recognizing the importance of funds to be allocated to the 988 Crisis Hotline, the development of 7,000 new supportive housing units across the state, and $200 million to support healthcare and mental hygiene worker bonuses.

At this time, we understand that there is great need everywhere; we thank Governor Kathy Hochul for her leadership, and we call on the legislature to authorize the Executive Budget that realizes the Governor’s commitment to community-based mental health housing.”

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Leanne Ricchiuti, Overit for Association for Community Living, 518.222.8073
January 5, 2022

STATEMENT

Association For Community Living Executive Director’s Statement in Response to Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address

(Albany, N.Y.) – The Association for Community Living (ACL) Executive Director, Sebrina Barrett, delivers the following statement in response to Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address today.

“On behalf of our members, and those we serve, I’m very grateful to hear that mental health is a priority for the Governor and the state. The Governor’s multi-year commitment of $10 billion in healthcare to include support wages and bonuses for workers is welcome, and necessary; but it is important to make sure that mental healthcare workers are included in this investment.

As is consistently made evident by the ensuing pandemic, and expressed by the Governor herself previously, mental health is a serious concern that needs to be addressed by the appropriate professionals. However, the current challenges faced by mental health care providers was an epidemic prior to the pandemic, and they have only become worse. The pandemic has merely shined a light on these issues–something we are thankful for in only that it made more people aware of the problem.

Our members operate Office of Mental Health (OMH) residential treatment and housing programs, but state funding for these programs has diminished by over 43% over the last 30 years. In addition, these program operators are now expected to incur pandemic related costs such as PPE, testing kits, and additional cleaning supplies, with less funds and fewer staff. These programs are expected, and required, to serve the most challenging clients, manage the health and mental health of people with many co-occurring conditions, and manage complicated medication regimens–none of which was anticipated when the housing funding program models were developed nearly 40 years ago.

For this reason, we applaud Governor Hochul’s prioritization of mental health and, with our statewide partners in community-based mental health and substance use disorder and addiction systems of care, look forward to partnering with her administration to bring the needed $500 million investment in our behavioral health workforce, services and support in the Governor’s Executive Budget proposal, as well as a5.4% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase.

Due to decades of neglect, surging inflation and fair market rent values rising sharply, ACL’s members’ programs need $159.5 million alone just to make up for years of underfunding.”

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Leanne Ricchiuti, Overit for Association for Community Living, 518.222.8073
November 9, 2021

PRESS RELEASE

Sebrina Barrett Invited to Testify at NYS Assembly Hearing 

Association for Community Living Executive Director testified at Hearing Exploring the Mental Health Workforce

(Albany, N.Y.) – Sebrina Barrett, Executive Director of Association for Community Living (ACL), today testified at the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Mental Health’s hearing on the mental health workforce. The archived video of the hearing can be found here. 

Barrett’s testimony follows.

“My name is Sebrina Barrett, and I am the executive director for the  Association for Community Living. Our members provide a home and path  to recovery for about 40,000 New Yorkers with severe and persistent  mental illness. 

Thank you for holding this hearing on an important issue that is severely  impacting mental health providers across the state — we know workforce  shortages are especially impacting mental health housing providers, who  have remained open throughout the pandemic, leaving behind staff who  are exhausted, defeated and grieving. The past 20 months have been  incredibly challenging for the mental health housing workforce, causing  many of them to seek employment elsewhere. For those who remain, the  need to work extra hours to fill the gaps is taking its toll, and is  unsustainable.  

While no industry seems immune from workforce shortages seemingly  related to the pandemic, the staff vacancy rate in New York State’s mental  health housing system was a concern before COVID, and it has only  gotten worse. We surveyed our members; we asked them how many of  their positions were vacant during a specified week. 

This is what our  members reported: 

Last October, the statewide vacancy average was nearing 15%; it then  grew to 19% in May 2021, and again to more than 23% in October 2021.  This means that nearly one in four positions statewide are vacant. 

Moreover, during our survey period, we also gathered information on how  many staff were unavailable to come to work for any reason, such as  illness, vacation, and child care issues. We learned that when the vacancy  and unavailability rates were combined, 34% of the staff positions were  unfilled that week — meaning 1 in 3 positions required coverage. Some  regions reported even worse numbers, with the Hudson River Region  having a 42% unavailability rate, and the Central Region having a 45%  unavailability rate.  

Practically speaking — what does this look like? How do housing  providers keep their programs open without more than one-third of their  workforce? Executives and other senior-level employees are filling direct  care roles.  

Imagine that you are short-staffed and, instead of being here today, to  hear our testimony, you have to be in your office, sorting mail, filing  documents, and circulating bill memos. Not only is this inefficient, these  tasks, while necessary, are not the best use of your time.

That is what is happening in mental health housing. Chief Operations  Officers, Chief Financial Officers, HR Managers, and Program Managers  are all working direct care shifts. They are transporting residents to  medical appointments, helping them manage their medications, and  ensuring their living environments are safe. These are all important tasks,  but not what these individuals were hired to do.  

Not only does this negatively impact the operation of these housing  agencies, but it also negatively impacts the residents and their recovery.  Residents deserve consistent and competent care-givers with whom they  can build trust. Further, when programs are short-staffed, health and  safety become significant concerns. Serious illness and even death can  occur when there are not enough staff to ensure residents’ well-being.  

We were pleased to see Governor Hochul’s announcement of $21 million  to fund mental health workforce recruitment and retention; however,  residential programs are not eligible for this funding. Our understanding is  there will be separate federal funding available to residential programs that  rely on Medicaid, but that will only benefit about 25% of the mental health  housing workforce, leaving the majority of the staff out and causing  inequities that could lead to much worse vacancy rates in the programs  that do not receive these funds.  

With rising inflation and wages, an across the board adjustment is needed  to prevent further erosion of funding. Due to decades of neglect, rising  inflation and fair market rent values rising sharply, these programs need  $177 million just to make up for years of underfunding. Further, it is  imperative that the 5.4% human services COLA be funded, so that we can  move toward providing these essential workers with a living wage. We  need funding to raise wages and support other recruitment and retention  incentives. We can’t wait for action. The time to address the workforce crisis is now.” 

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Leanne Ricchiuti, Overit for Association for Community Living, 518.222.8073
April 5, 2021

Association for Community Living/Bring It Home Campaign Urges Action from the Governor in the Eleventh Hour before State Budget is Passed

“I realize that we’re down to the wire as the state is now five days late passing the fiscal budget, but I wanted to take this opportunity to reaffirm to the Legislature and the Governor the need for the one percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for human services providers.

The COLA is provided by a previously denoted statute but has been deferred nearly every year since its creation. Human services providers continue to battle the pandemic while providing care to vulnerable New Yorkers, especially those with persistent mental illness––for whom this past year has been particularly challenging. Further, these providers have been trying their best to do more with less, every single year.

ACL represents mental health community housing providers across the state. These organizations have remained open for the entire duration of the pandemic and are staffed by various “essential workers” who could benefit from this COLA increase. 

I use quotes because this was a term seemingly created since the pandemic started, but these individuals have always been essential to us and the people they serve. These are not only the staff who provide direct services to residents, these include people who clean, provide security, human resources, technical support, and who continue to keep the lights on to ensure continuity of care, even when external support services for residents were closed. Providers have incurred additional costs this past year related to keeping residents safe, such as personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies––things that were never anticipated, but became imperative.

We were pleased to see that the 1% COLA was included in both the Senate and Assembly budgets, and urge its inclusion in the final budget. While this small percentage is a drop in the bucket to the state’s overall budget, it would mean the world to a human services sector employee who has beared the brunt of this pandemic for more than a year. We must do more than say how much we appreciate them; we must show them.”

Sebrina Barrett, Executive Director, submitted the OpEd above on behalf of the members of the  Association of Community Living (ACL).

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Leanne Ricchiuti, Overit for Association for Community Living, 518.222.8073
March 25, 2021

Association for Community Living/Bring It Home Campaign Applauds Senate & Assembly on Budget Proposals

Always Fighting for Better Funding for Better Care; Legislature Recognizes Importance

(Albany, N.Y.) – The Association for Community Living (ACL), applauds both the Senate and Assembly on each of their one house bill proposals to the Governor for the 2021-2022 New York State Budget.

In January, when ACL and the Bring It Home Coalition first requested that additional funding be allocated in the SFY 2021-22 budget for Mental Health Housing, the amount of federal relief New York State would receive was uncertain. Thus, despite a $180 million shortfall in the housing system, the groups limited their request to the $20 million included in the Executive Budget, which was previously enacted in SFY 2020-21, but was never allocated due to the fiscal crisis caused by the pandemic.

Not only was that $20 million included in both one-house bills, but additional funds are proposed in a number of different areas that strongly demonstrate the legislature’s understanding of the importance of mental health and supportive housing, particularly during a pandemic.

“We understand that this past year, during the pandemic, has left legislators in a difficult position to appropriately lay out the state’s budget,” said Sebrina Barrett, Executive Director of the Association for Community Living, “but we applaud the Senate and Assembly leadership for proposing legislation that will help sustain mental health housing programs across New York State while we continue to navigate the financial hardships decades of neglected inflation have left upon our providers.”

The Senate and Assembly proposals for the state’s budget specifically include the $20 million from SFY 2020-2021 to enhance the Office of Mental Health (OMH) housing rates, $60 million for property preservation for OMH Residential Programs, and $250 million for a sixth round of the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, all of which was included in the executive proposal. The Senate and Assembly also restored a 1% cost of living adjustment totaled at $15 million for mental health, restoration of reinvestment funds from the closure of state hospital beds, and the restoration of a $17.15 million cut to non-residential mental health programs.

Earlier this month ACL and the Bring It Home Coalition launched a social media challenge named #BringItHomeChallenge to invite current and future supporters of mental health housing to describe what home means to them, and call for better funding for better care for community-based mental health housing programs.

ACL and the Bring It Home Coalition have also been urging supporters to contact their legislators through a letter writing campaign, asking for more funding. Well before the April 1st budget deadline, the Bring It Home Coalition has surpassed their goal of ten thousand letters written, with nearly 15,000 e-letters sent to the Governor, legislators, and legislative leaders of New York State, urging support for mental health housing across the state.

Anyone interested in sending a letter to the Governor and legislature may do so here.

ACL is a statewide membership organization of not-for-profit agencies that provide housing and rehabilitation services to about 40,000 people diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness.

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Leanne Ricchiuti, Overit for Association for Community Living, 518.222.8073
February 9, 2020

PRESS RELEASE 

Statewide Advocates Call on Elected Leaders to Support the State’s Most Vulnerable New Yorkers

OMH Commissioner & Senate, Assembly Chairs of Committee on Mental Health give voice to a vulnerable community 

(Albany, N.Y.) – Advocates from across New York State joined forces Tuesday to amplify their voices on behalf of one of the most vulnerable populations. The Association for Community Living (ACL) held a Virtual Mental Health Housing Forum on Tuesday, and were joined by leaders across the state to call for support of mental health housing in the Empire State. The forum can be seen in full here.

The Forum’s featured speakers included the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) Commissioner, Dr. Ann Marie Sullivan, Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, Senator Samra Brouk, and ACL Executive Director Sebrina Barrett. Others who spoke were advocates, residents, housing staff, and family members who all shared perspectives on why mental house housing is more vital than ever before to providing a path to recovery for individuals with severe mental illness.

In the State of the State Address last month, Governor Cuomo included the conversion of vacant commercial property into affordable and supportive housing, and his proposed budget includes $250 million for new supportive housing; advocates agree that mental health housing is healthcare, and needed more now than ever before. By creating new supportive housing, Governor Cuomo is keeping his commitment to house some of New York’s most vulnerable populations. However, it is imperative that the supportive housing currently in operation see increased funding as well, if not first.

Before the pandemic, and before the state’s fiscal crisis materialized––which was just one year ago––mental health housing faced a $180 million shortfall. This is because the funding model that was created decades ago, has not kept pace with inflation. For example, employee health insurance premiums have risen 740% since 1984. The monthly premium rose from $183 in 1999 to more than $600 a month, or $7,000 a year. Current reimbursement rates for all fringe costs aren’t enough to cover just health insurance, let alone workers’ comp, federal payroll taxes, and unemployment benefits.

“Mental health housing is not only the right thing to do; it is fiscally smart,” said Sebrina Barrett, Executive Director of the Association for Community Living. “It is much less expensive than hospitals, prisons, jails, and homeless shelters. We have the ability to save lives, while saving the state money.”

“Adequate funding for supportive and mental health housing will help our neighbors and community members succeed,” said Senator Samra Brouk, New York State Senate Chair of the Committee on Mental Health. “These facilities are essential for recovery, and they provide vital, stable services for people in need of support. However, the staff providing that direct care need to make a living wage so that they can support their own families, too. Staff can’t focus on their jobs if they’re worried about putting food on the table.”

“Mental Health housing programs have been dealing with funding issues for many years,” said Aileen Gunther, Assembly Chair of the Committee on Mental Health. “It’s unacceptable and it needs to change. Direct-care staff in these programs have put their own lives at risk to ensure residential programs remained open throughout this pandemic. We need to do everything we can at a state level to ensure they receive a living wage.”

“I think we all recognize that this past year has proven to be a strain on everyone,” said Barrett. “The direct care staff and organizations that provide housing and support services have been instrumental in ensuring recovery from mental illness, and have enabled recovery to remain possible as the pandemic has changed all of our lives.”

ACL is a statewide membership organization of not-for-profit agencies that provide housing and rehabilitation services to about 40,000 people diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness.

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About Association for Community Living. The Association for Community Living (ACL) is a statewide membership organization of not-for-profit agencies that provide housing and rehabilitation services to about 40,000 New Yorkers who have been diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness. Many of the people served in these programs have co-occurring physical health problems and substance use disorders. The day-to-day rehabilitative and support activities performed in community residential and other housing settings are vital for people who face the daily challenges of living with a mental illness and want to live independent, productive and satisfying lives as members of the community.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Leanne Ricchiuti , Overit for Association for Community Living, 518-222-8073
January 11, 2021

RESPONSE TO GOVERNOR CUOMO’S STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS

(Albany, N.Y.) – Regarding Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State address today, Bring it Home Campaign , a coalition of community-based mental health housing providers, mental health advocates, faith leaders, and consumers and their families, and Association for Community Living (ACL) respond with this statement from Association for Community Living (ACL), Executive Director, Sebrina Barrett.

“Association for Community Living (ACL) commends Governor Cuomo for including the conversion of vacant commercial property into affordable and supportive housing in his State of the State address earlier today; mental health housing is healthcare, and needed more now than ever before.

By creating new supportive housing, Governor Cuomo is keeping his commitment to house some of New York’s most vulnerable populations. However, it is imperative that the supportive housing currently in operation see increased funding as well, if not first.

For decades, ACL has been fighting for adequately funded community-based housing programs for individuals with severe and persistent psychiatric disabilities. In response to the lack of funding, the Bring it Home Campaign was formed four years ago.

These recovery based housing programs have not kept pace with inflation and are significantly underfunded. Governor Cuomo was right to stress the importance of these programs and support avenues throughout the pandemic so far, and we hope that his Executive Budget includes adequate increased funding to ensure these vital programs are able to remain open to serve our community through this challenging time.

Never before has the importance of funding been highlighted than by the last nine months, after the pandemic struck. ACL is a statewide membership organization of not-for-profit agencies that provide housing and rehabilitation services to about 40,000 people, and for as long as we’ve been fighting for it, our requests for adequate funding from the state have not met the full need for these services.

The pandemic has further brought to light the vulnerability of those who are living with psychiatric disabilities. And when those disabilities have been compounded by the effects of the pandemic, providers have been left to do more with less. Despite risks to their own health, the essential workers within the provider facilities have provided compassionate care to vulnerable New Yorkers with mental illness every day, and throughout the pandemic.

We look to the Governor to make sure these residents of New York are not forgotten, yet supported in their recovery. We anxiously await the Executive Budget, and hope that he chooses to provide proper access to care for this sick and disabled population.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 6, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, mmansfield@skdknick.com, 518.339.7769

CONGRESSMAN TONKO JOINS MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES, IMPACTED HOUSING PROVIDERS AND THOSE WHO RELY ON THEM TO CALL ON CONGRESS TO IMMEDIATELY PASS A FEDERAL RELIEF PACKAGE

Due to lack of federal funding, New York State has reduced third-quarter funding for mental health housing programs by 20%, jeopardizing continuity of care, stable homes and access to support services for NYers with mental illnesses

Albany, NY – Congressman Paul Tonko today joined mental health housing providers, advocates, New Yorkers with mental illnesses and their families to call on Congress to pass a relief package that will enable New York State to release funds withheld for community-based housing programs for people with serious psychiatric disabilities. Currently, New York State is withholding portions of funding for local contracts to compensate for financial shortfalls.

The current 20% reduction jeopardizes the continuity of care for 7,300 New Yorkers with mental illnesses as housing providers in Western and Central New York, and the Hudson Valley will have to chose between paying a percentage of all rents currently due, or deciding which rents to withhold in full. Some organizations have been forced to halt admissions altogether.

Without federal relief, these cuts will likely expand throughout the entire mental health housing system, placing more than 40,000 New Yorkers living with significant mental illnesses at risk of becoming homeless, hospitalized, or incarcerated.

“Many of our friends and loved ones who live with mental health challenges have been able to weather the present storm thanks to a stable bedrock of secure housing,” said Congressman Tonko. “Failing to deliver resources to ensure they continue to have a roof over their heads could lead to cascading challenges down the road for these members of our community and all who support and rely on them. Simply put, having a place to call home can often be the difference between life and death for many, especially for those with mental illness. My colleagues need to heed our call to deliver these life-saving resources and get the job done.”

“This unexpected decrease could result in hundreds of persons with severe mental illnesses losing their homes, daily medication management, and access to support services at a time when COVID-19 is still a threat to this vulnerable population,” said Sebrina Barrett, Executive Director, Association for Community Living. “The people we serve are at high risk for COVID, due to their underlying health conditions. More than 40% of mental health housing residents who became ill required hospitalization, and more than 15% ultimately died. We cannot render these individuals homeless while this pandemic remains a public health crisis.”

“Without significant federal help, we will be creating more homelessness among the most vulnerable New Yorkers, and rewarding the essential workers we depended on through the first wave of COVID with pink slips,” said Laura Mascuch, Executive Director, Supportive Housing Network of New York. “We can and must do better to protect this population and the staff who are holding up the safety net.”

“As the son of a mother living with a serious mental illness, I know how important these programs are to families,” said Matthew Shapiro, Associate Director, Public Affairs, NAMI-NYS. “These essential services are needed more than ever as COVID-19 has caused a decrease in access to mental health services in community and hospital settings. We are extremely concerned about the devastation the 20% withholds will have on these life-changing and lifesaving programs. We urge Congress and the President to provide funding to the states, New York’s health depends on your actions.”

“I’ve worked with mental health housing for more than 40 years, and we’ve managed our share of fiscal shortfalls, but this financial crisis, coupled with a pandemic, is like nothing I’ve ever seen,” said William DeVita, Executive Director, Rehabilitation Support Services. “Absent federal relief, rent stipends will not be paid, and hundreds of residents will be evicted from their apartments.”

“Faced with cuts to existing supportive housing contracts, organizations that provide these essential services will be forced to decrease the number of persons served during a pandemic,” Ralph Fasano, Executive Director, Concern for Independent Living. “Federal aid to states and localities is desperately needed to prevent increases in homelessness and the spread of COVID 19.”

Negotiations are ongoing to hammer out what is expected to be over a trillion dollar relief package aimed at stabilizing the economy.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 4, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com 

MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES URGE LEADERS TO SUPPORT
NEW YORKERS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESSES

ALBANY, NY – The Bring It Home Coalition released the following statement today from Antonia Lasicki, Executive Director of the Association for Community Living, in response to Governor Cuomo’s support for those with mental illnesses and the state’s dire financial outlook and:

“On behalf of nonprofit mental health housing providers, the 40,000 New Yorkers we serve, and their families, we thank Governor Cuomo for highlighting how the COVID-19 pandemic is a mental health crisis, and sharing resources for those in need. Every day our community-based programs support those with serious and persistent mental illnesses by helping with medications and providing stable housing—keeping this population safe, out of jail, off the streets, and away from emergency rooms.

During this crisis, many New Yorkers are struggling with anxiety, stress and depression. We care for New York’s most vulnerable, who now face even greater challenges everyday. We need to care for and protect them now more than ever. As the state faces unprecedented financial challenges and we commemorate May as Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to remind state leaders that our programs save lives and save money: mental health housing programs cost a fraction of the alternative, and minimize the potential for significant spread of the virus.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

BRING IT HOME COALITION STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO GOVERNOR CUOMO’S 2020-2021 EXECUTIVE BUDGET ADDRESS

ALBANY, NY – The Bring It Home Coalition released the following statement today from Antonia Lasicki, Executive Director of the Association for Community Living NYS, in response to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s allocation of $20 million in additional funding for mental health housing programs:

“New York is facing a multi-billion dollar deficit this year, which translates to significant cuts for worthy programs across the state in 2020. We are exceptionally grateful to Governor Cuomo for increasing funding for mental health housing programs by $20 million in his Executive Budget, which is double the increase he allocated last year. This support is a welcome and much-needed boost for these programs, which serve thousands of New Yorkers who desperately need our help.

“However, this reality is that these programs are still severely underfunded, a fact made clear by ACL when they released a report in December that confirmed the dire fiscal situation faced by providers. While we appreciate the Governor’s effort, and believe this increase – especially under such harsh budget circumstances – is an acknowledgement of the problems we have documented, we urge legislators in the Assembly and the Senate to read the ACL report, and allocate additional funding for the mental health housing programs that provide critically-needed care for our state’s most vulnerable population.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 8, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com  

BRING IT HOME’S STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO STATE OF THE STATE

ALBANY, N.Y. – In response to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State address today, the Bring It Home coalition released the following statement from the Coalition’s Chairperson, Association for Community Living Executive Director Antonia Lasicki:

“In today’s State of the State, we appreciate that the governor intends to build 6,000 new supportive housing units. However, the organizations caring for those with serious, persistent mental illnesses in older, existing programs were once again left wondering how they will be able to continue to serve this vulnerable population.

“Every day, our nonprofit agencies and their thousands of caregivers provide community-based housing and lifesaving services to more than 40,000 individuals with serious mental illnesses. Yet for decades the state has denied our requests for adequate funding of these highly successful programs, regardless of the state’s economic standing.

“Now, after decades of neglect, the system is on the brink of collapse. Without these programs, the most vulnerable New Yorkers fall through the cracks, often ending up homeless, incarcerated, hospitalized, or worse. Ignoring this reality is not only more expensive to New York’s taxpayers, it’s blatantly inhumane.

“As we await the Governor’s 2020-21 Executive Budget, we hope, and would greatly appreciate, that he invest in this system and ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the housing and healthcare they need to not only survive, but live with dignity.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

FOLLOWING VETO, BRING IT HOME RELEASES REPORT THAT GOVERNOR’S OFFICE DIDN’T WANT THE PUBLIC TO SEE

Report Finds State Mental Health Housing Programs “Have Lost 40 – 70% of Their Funding” & “Programs Are in Imminent Jeopardy”

Despite Unanimous Approval from Legislature, Governor Cuomo Vetoed Legislation Which Would Have Created Impartial Commission to Evaluate Funding Needs

Albany, NY – A new report from the Association for Community Living shows that New York State mental health housing programs are “in imminent jeopardy” and have lost 40 to 70 percent of their funding to inflationary erosion over the past two decades, with virtually no additional support from the state to close the budget gap.

The report was produced in response to last week’s veto by Governor Andrew Cuomo of unanimously approved legislation that would have created a state commission to assess ongoing, debilitating funding shortfalls in New York’s mental health housing programs. The impartial commission – which would have been made up of appointees from both the executive and legislative branches – would have studied the current funding and staffing levels across the state and investigated ways New York could begin to remedy its years-long failure to adequately fund mental health housing programs.

“Individuals with serious and persistent mental illness are among the most vulnerable in our state. For this alone, the Executive should have felt obligated to sign the bill so as to ensure that these programs are best equipped to care for those with mental illness,” today’s report states in the Executive Summary. Due to the veto, the Association for Community Living—a statewide organization of not-for-profit agencies that provide services to this population—compiled data already provided to the Governor’s office and Office of Mental Health. “The conclusion is simple and clear: these programs need rate increases.”

The full report can be found here.

“New York State’s mental health housing programs, which provide housing for 40,000 New Yorkers, run the risk of collapse without the resources to maintain a robust team of caregivers across the state,” said Antonia Lasicki, Executive Director of the Association for Community Living, and Chair of the Bring It Home coalition.

“For supportive housing providers, the scattered-site model is at a crisis point: Funding that decades ago used to be split between rent and services now essentially just pays for rent, leaving next to nothing left for essential services that keep tenants housed and healthy,” said Laura Mascuch, Executive Director of The Network, an organization focused on ending homelessness through supportive housing.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 6, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

STATEMENT FROM THE BRING IT HOME COALITION REGARDING GOVERNOR CUOMO’S VETO OF THE MENTAL HEALTH HOUSING COMMISSION BILL

“When we fail to provide the support that the mental health housing system needs, New Yorkers can wind up homeless, incarcerated, hospitalized, or worse”

Albany, NY- The Bring It Home coalition released the following statement in response to Governor Cuomo’s decision to veto S.5637/A.7489, a bill from Senator David Carlucci and Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther which would have created a state commission to assess ongoing, debilitating funding shortfalls in New York’s mental health housing programs. The statement should be attributed to Antonia Lasicki, executive director of The Association for Community Living NYS and chair of the Bring It Home coalition:

“We’re incredibly disappointed with Governor Cuomo’s decision to veto this bill, which passed unanimously in both houses and would cost taxpayers nothing. The only result of this bill being signed into law would be an honest and impartial assessment of the dire fiscal condition of our housing system, and our fear is that this is the real reason why the governor decided to veto it. A report from this commission would have given lawmakers and the Division of Budget an informed understanding of the challenges our providers face, and equipped them with the knowledge needed to ensure no New Yorker goes without access to the housing and healthcare they need to survive.

“As the Bring It Home coalition has warned for years, after building the nation’s leading housing system for its most vulnerable residents, New York has since chronically underfunded these programs. As a result, providers face an imminent crisis, and New Yorkers living with severe psychiatric disabilities face a real possibility of losing the roof over their head. When we fail to provide the support that the mental health housing system needs, New Yorkers can wind up homeless, incarcerated, hospitalized, or worse. By failing to provide adequate funding for this system, the state is putting tens of thousands of New Yorkers at risk, continuing to stretch the housing system untenably thin and endangering the welfare of those we most need the State’s assistance.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 16, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

STATEMENT FROM THE BRING IT HOME COALITION REGARDING NEW FUNDING FOR NEW YORK’S SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS
 

Albany, NY - The Bring It Home coalition released the following statement in response to Governor Cuomo’s announcement of the fourth round of the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, which will provide funding for at least 1,200 units of supportive housing:

“The Association for Community Living and the Bring It Home coalition applaud the Governor’s ongoing commitment to developing and adequately funding new supportive housing. However, identical existing units that already house the most vulnerable New Yorkers continue to be dramatically underfunded by the state -- and many providers are questioning their ability to continue operating them.

With his longtime support of the mental health community, we doubt the Governor would want to jeopardize successful programs while allocating funds to build new—resulting in the net loss of supportive housing. We urge Governor Cuomo to correct this disparity and invest in community-based mental health housing in his 2020-2021 Executive Budget.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

STATE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY UNANIMOUSLY PASS BILL TO STUDY CRITICAL FUNDING SHORTFALLS
IN NEW YORK’S MENTAL HEALTH HOUSING PROGRAMS 
Bill Will Establish Commission to Investigate Needs For State Investment In Chronically Underfunded Housing Programs 
Commission’s Final Report Would be Due Six Months After Bill is Signed, With Intention of Guiding Creation
of the 2020-2021 Executive Budget

ALBANY, NY – A bill introduced by Senator David Carlucci and Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther that would create a state commission to assess ongoing, debilitating funding shortfalls in New York’s mental health housing programs passed unanimously in the New York State Senate and Assembly last week. The bill (S.5637/A.7489) would prompt a study of current funding and staffing levels across the state and investigate ways the state can begin to remedy its years-long failure to adequately fund mental health housing programs. The commission’s findings would be due to the State and Legislature six months after the bill is signed into law, and are intended to help guide the creation of Executive Budget proposal for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

“This bill is about correcting a wrong that has persisted for years, in spite of ongoing warnings from advocates that we are fomenting a crisis by failing to act,” said Senator David Carlucci, chair of the Senate Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities committee. “It is time for us to give the state’s mental health housing programs the attention and study they need and deserve, and to bring together true experts to tell us how to better serve our state’s most vulnerable populations.”

“This legislation will finally shine a light on the chronic underfunding of New York State’s mental health housing programs, and we are exceptionally grateful to the sponsors of this bill, Senator Carlucci and Assemblywoman Gunther, and the rest of the state legislature for their attention to this serious shortfall,” said Antonia Lasicki, executive director of The Association for Community Living NYS. “The Bring It Home coalition is hopeful that this commission’s findings will incite Governor Cuomo to prioritize the welfare of some of New York’s most vulnerable citizens and take the much-needed actions to protect this system from financial collapse.”

The commission, made up of ten appointed members, would make determinations and recommendations on the adequacy of funding levels in mental health housing programs, the number of direct care staff – as well as the need for professional staff in the programs – and the ability of the current programs to meet the needs of their residents.

This bill was introduced just weeks after the passage of the 2019-2020 state budget, which included the addition of much needed resources, but not enough funding to sustain mental health programs despite years of warning from Bring It Home coalition members and mental health advocates. Advocates are now urging Governor Cuomo to take immediate action by signing this bill into law so the commission would be able to compile a report in time to guide the creation of the 2020-2021 Executive Budget proposal.

For more information on this bill, visit https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s5637.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

STATEMENT FROM THE BRING IT HOME COALITION REGARDING THE 2019-20 NEW YORK STATE BUDGET
“This Budget is a Disaster that will Lead to More New Yorkers in Homeless Shelters, in Hospitals and in Jails” 

Albany, NY - The Bring It Home coalition released the following statement in response to the 2019-20 New York State Executive budget, which should be attributed to Antonia Lasicki, Executive Director of The Association for Community Living and chair of the Bring It Home coalition:

“For the New Yorkers who desperately need to be served by New York’s mental health housing system, this budget is a disaster which will lead to more people entering homeless shelters, hospitals and jails. Despite months of unwavering advocacy from the Bring It Home coalition on behalf of all New Yorkers living with serious and persistent mental health conditions, the state has yet again failed to keep its promise to adequately fund the community-based mental health housing programs that care for our family, friends, and neighbors in the 2019-2020 budget.

“Decades of continued neglect for New York State’s once unparalleled mental health housing system jeopardizes the housing and stability of over 40,000 residents. By only including a fraction of the funding needed to sustain these programs, Governor Cuomo and state legislators are effectively starving the system that they worked so hard to create.

“New York State has a responsibility to protect its most vulnerable residents. How much longer must this system teeter on the brink of financial collapse before receiving the funding that is so critically needed?”

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BRING IT HOME COALITION RELEASES STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO PBS FRONTLINE “RIGHT TO FAIL” INVESTIGATION  

 Statement: “New York Has a Proud Legacy of Caring for Its Most Vulnerable and We Urge Governor Cuomo and the Legislature to Continue that Legacy, Rather Than Destroy It”

ALBANY, NY – The Bring It Home coalition released the following statement in response to the PBS Frontline investigation Right to Fail, which debuted last night, and featured an interview with Antonia Lasicki, executive director of The Association for Community Living NYS and chair of the Bring It Home coalition.

“New York State’s mental health housing programs have been starved for decades. As providers, we are proud of the work we do for tens of thousands New Yorkers who desperately need our help. But the reality is that without a significant investment from the state, thousands of New Yorkers with serious, persistent psychiatric disabilities will be unable keep the housing and services they need – resulting in avoidable hospitalization, homelessness and incarceration.

“Frontline’s Right to Fail shined a disturbing light on the central flaw in the original Adult Home decision – which only allowed residents to move into the most independent form of housing, instead of offering them access to the wide range of settings that could meet their needs. But it also showed examples of what happens when individuals in the current system don’t get the services they need, and our fear is that their stories will continue to be more common if the funding shortage isn’t addressed immediately.

“As one example:  In the program, these stories unfolded in New York City, where the HUD Fair market Rent is more than $19,000. But housing providers are provided $17,375 per person, per year, by New York State. This is expected to cover not only rent, but services to individuals, utilities, staff, supervisors, administration, property management, among other expenses. The governor’s staff has argued that the 2019-20 budget proposes adding $10 million for a system of 40,000 units of special needs housing. And although we appreciate this gesture, it won’t even cover the rent. It is simply not enough.

“New York has a proud legacy of caring for its most vulnerable and we urge Governor Cuomo and the state legislature to continue that legacy rather than destroy it. The 2019-20 budget is the time to significantly increase the investment in these life-altering programs.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 11, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

100 FAITH LEADERS, 150 ORGANIZATIONS, 900 INDIVIDUAL MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES JOIN TOGETHER TO PRESSURE THE STATE TO ADEQUATELY FUND MENTAL HEALTH HOUSING PROGRAMS 

Advocates sent more than 3,100 messages to Governor’s office demanding the state protect this vulnerable population 

ALBANY, NY – On behalf of the Bring It Home campaign, mental health advocates are calling on the state to invest in its community-based mental health housing system and include a significant investment in the 2019-2020 state budget. As the legislature gavels in, the Bring It Home coalition—now nearly 900 individual supporters, 150 organizations, and 100 faith leaders across the state—reaffirmed their dedication to preserving and protecting the state’s mental health housing system and the vulnerable population it serves.

As part of its ongoing advocacy efforts, Bring It Home supporters are participating in an e-letter campaign reminding Governor Andrew Cuomo of the coalition’s agenda and urging increased funding for these crucial programs at a time when the need is so great. As of January 11, 2019, more than 3,100 messages have been sent.

“We are thrilled and encouraged by the outpouring of support Bring It Home has received over the past year from providers, residents, advocates and family members who realize that adequate funding is critical to keeping the mental health housing system from collapsing,” said Toni Lasicki, executive director of The Association for Community Living NYS. “As the legislature heads into session, we call on them to listen to their constituents and consider the lives that are at stake if they ignore the need to provide reliable funding for these programs.”

This year, Bring It Home—a coalition of community-based mental health housing providers, advocates, individuals with psychiatric disabilities and their families—will build on last year’s effort to raise awareness of the currently underfunded system and implications on all New Yorkers: Without adequate funding for these live-altering programs, more of our neighbors with mental illness will end up hospitalized, incarcerated, or homeless. 

“Stable, trusted relationships between housing staff and recovering people are essential to supporting them to meet their health and community related goals,” said Harvey Rosenthal, CEO of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services. “We must have the resources to be able to attract and retain the kind and level of workforce necessary to keep those commitments.”

“As family members of people living with mental health issues, NAMI-NYS joined the Bring it Home Campaign because we recognize how vital continuity of care is to their recovery,” said Wendy Burch, executive director of NAMI-NYS. “Our loved ones who live in mental health housing depend on having qualified, caring staff to support them. How can we expect to retain that staff when they can’t even earn a living wage?”

Outreach to the governor and state legislators will continue throughout the budget negotiation process and the remainder of the legislative session.  For more information about signing-on as a supporter of Bring It Home or to send an e-letter to Governor Cuomo, visit https://www.bringithomenys.org/support-bring-it-home/.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 6, 2018
MEDIA CONTACT: Morgan Hook 301-801-6949, mhook@skdknick.com

STATEMENT FROM THE BRING IT HOME CAMPAIGN
REGARDING PRO PUBLICA’S
“LIVING APART, COMING UNDONE” INVESTIGATION

ALBANY, NY – The following statement was released today from the Bring It Home campaign:

“Today’s ProPublica investigation underscores a critical element that has been missing in the current design: People with mental health conditions must be offered a full choice of residential and community supports, across the entire continuum of care, that emphasizes but is not limited to supported housing options. At the same time, it’s critically important to understand that, with the appropriate level and continuum of supports, the vast majority of individuals including current adult home residents can thrive in the community.

“However, the truth is that New York State’s mental health system and mental health housing programs have been starved for decades. Without a significant investment from the state, thousands of New Yorkers with serious, persistent psychiatric disabilities will be unable to get the housing and services they need – resulting in avoidable hospitalization, homelessness and incarceration.

“But there are positive stories to tell. The Bring It Home coalition recently launched ‘Humans of Mental Health Housing’ to highlight the personal stories and human impact of a strong mental health housing system for both residents and workers. Bring It Home has been actively campaigning for more than a year to convince Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York legislature to allocate adequate funding for mental health housing programs in the 2019-2020 New York State budget.

“New York has the opportunity to continue its legacy of caring for its most vulnerable and we urge Governor Cuomo and the state legislature to invest in these life-altering programs in the 2019 budget.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 15, 2018
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

“I FEEL NORMAL AGAIN”: NEW YORKERS LIVING & WORKING IN MENTAL HEALTH HOUSING GET TO TELL THEIR STORIES
 
BRING IT HOME CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES
“HUMANS OF MENTAL HEALTH HOUSING” TO HIGHLIGHT PERSONAL STORIES 

In First Story Published Today, Resident Of Sister Louise Manor Shares How Independent Living Has Changed Her Life 

Bring It Home Campaign Will Publish One New Story Each Week, From Both Residents & Workers In Mental Health Housing  

ALBANY, NY – The Bring It Home coalition today launched “Humans of Mental Health Housing,” which will highlight the personal stories and human impact of a strong mental health housing system for both residents and workers. The new campaign will publish one story each week, from mental health housing residents and employees, alongside stories from coalition leaders and advocates.

Humans of Mental Health Housing is the latest effort by Bring It Home to raise awareness and engage the public in their effort ensure adequate funding for mental health housing in New York State. Bring It Home has been actively campaigning for more than a year to convince Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York legislature to allocate adequate funding for mental health housing programs in the 2019-2020 New York State budget.

“Shared human experience is the foundation for understanding, and we’re so grateful to those who have shared their stories on behalf of everyone involved in New York’s mental health housing programs,” said Toni Lasicki, executive director of The Association for Community Living NYS. “We hope that these glimpses into the lives of Humans of Mental Health Housing will help connect people to our cause and showcase the value of these state funded programs – and prove to lawmakers that it is an absolute necessity to provide the funding needed to keep these programs in operation.”

The first story comes from Maryann DeLorenzo, a resident of Sister Louise Manor on Staten Island since 2014:

“I am blessed to be living at Sister Louise Manor. I feel so at home and everybody feels like family. There is comfort in living in a place where nobody is a stranger and everybody helps each other.

I love being in independent living. I feel normal again. Normal in the sense of feeling like an individual that can function all alone, like going shopping and having programs to go to and my own place to sleep and eat in. I can be me, independently and happily, even in my senior years.

Home is where the heart is and my heart is at Sister Louise Manor.”

Each week, the campaign will provide an intimate look at New York’s mental health housing programs and the mutually beneficial relationships between residents, employees and their communities, emphasizing the need for state lawmakers to commit to fully funding the programs during the 2019 Legislative Session.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 21, 2018
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

BRING IT HOME CAMPAIGN MEMBERS DELIVER MORE THAN 25,000 LETTERS FROM NEW YORKERS DEMANDING SUPPORT FOR MENTAL HEALTH HOUSING

 Coalition Urges Governor Cuomo, Senate, and Assembly Leadership to Secure Adequate Funding for Mental Health Housing in Final Budget

** Photos of Letter Drop-Off Available Upon Request**

ALBANY, NY–Mental health housing providers, advocates, residents, and their families from across the state delivered more than 25,000 letters to Governor Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie calling on them to invest in the mental health housing system in the state budget.

The letters demand action this year to address decades of inconsistent and unreliable state funding which has put New York State’s system of mental health housing near a financial breaking point.

“The governor and legislature have a choice to make: allocate adequate funding for mental health housing for our most vulnerable New Yorkers, or watch the system collapse due to decades of neglect,” said Antonia Lasicki, Executive Director of The Association For Community Living NYS. “These providers, residents, and advocates came from across the state to remind the governor and legislature that there are real lives at stake and we need a real commitment from the state to keep this critical system.” 

Bring It Home campaign leaders also provided an update on the status of the services they provide, where they currently stand with the budget, and what actions will take place if nothing is done to address the deteriorating fiscal health of the crucial mental health housing system.

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 21, 2018
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, 

ADVOCATES SEND MORE THAN 10,000 LETTERS TO GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS CALLING FOR MENTAL HEALTH HOUSING FUNDING TO BE INCLUDED IN FINAL BUDGET
 

ALBANY, NY – Members of the Bring It Home coalition and mental health advocates have sent more than 10,000 letters to Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders, calling on the state to invest in its community-based mental health housing system, and include reliable, adequate funding in the 2018-2019 budget.

“The foundation of recovery is stable housing with consistent, reliable, and accessible support,” the letters’ authors wrote. “Without adequate funding, those living with psychiatric disabilities who rely on mental health housing are at risk of displacement and relapse. When both are not available, these New Yorkers can fall through the cracks--often ending up homeless, incarcerated, or incapacitated.”

Noting that funding remained stagnant over the years regardless of the state’s fiscal situation, the writers are clear that further delay is untenable.

“New York’s mental health housing system cannot survive in its current financial state,” said Antonia Lasicki, Executive Director of the Association For Community Living, on behalf of Bring It Home. “As a national leader with over 40,000 available housing units, the state must sustain its reputation and adequately fund current infrastructure to protect its most vulnerable citizens living with mental illness and psychiatric disabilities.”

The ever-growing Bring It Home coalition represents 129 statewide mental health providers and advocacy organizations, 76 faith leaders, and over 900 individual supporters.

The letter writing/e-mail campaign will continue throughout the budget negotiation process.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 3, 2018
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

BRING IT HOME CAMPAIGN RESPONDS TO GOVERNOR CUOMO’S STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS

ALBANY, N.Y. – Antonia Lasicki, Executive Director of the Association for Community Living in New York State, issued the following statement on behalf of the Bring It Home coalition.

We applaud Governor Cuomo’s acknowledgement, during his State of the State address, that New York must protect its citizens with mental illnesses.  As the Governor said, “It is our obligation as a caring people – a compassionate society – to reach out, to provide whatever social services or address whatever needs the individual presents. It is our job.”

The Bring It Home campaign could not agree more, and we look forward to seeing him follow through on this recognition with the funding and support the community-based mental health housing system needs in his budget proposal—a system of housing that serves the very people he was referring to, that is more and more unable to provide required services due to rates that are grossly inadequate.  

Governor Cuomo’s leadership helped make New York a national model for community-based mental health housing, and his continued commitment is a critical part of maintaining our stature.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 13, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

BRING IT HOME CAMPAIGN ADVOCATES STRESS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AS FOUNDATION FOR RECOVERY ON STATEWIDE TV PROGRAM

‘Mental Health Now’ Features Coalition Leaders and Residents

Albany, NY –Coalition leaders, mental health advocates, and residents from the Bring It Home campaign spoke about the critical role of supportive community-based housing in the latest episode of “Mental Health Now,” produced by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in New York State.

NAMI’s Matthew Shapiro spoke with guests involved with Bring It Home: Better Funding for Better Care on the importance of housing programs with wraparound services to mental health recovery.

Former resident and advocate Tiffany Monti shared how supportive housing was key in her recovery. “I wanted to recover, I wanted to feel better, but I didn’t know what that looked like. When I was struggling they saw the possibilities in me... Once I found stable housing I wasn’t struggling anymore."

New York State’s supportive housing providers have been stretched thin due to decades of underfunding. The Bring It Home campaign is urging the Cuomo administration and legislators to properly fund these critical programs.

On the show, Antonia Lasicki, Executive Director of coalition member Association for Community Living, in New York State also explained the necessity for adequate state funding to housing providers. She said, “Often folks find themselves in hospitals, or in other settings [jails] that are not ideal. Housing programs get people to the point where they can live on their own later.”

Housing providers and mental health advocates have seen the successes possible when those with serious psychiatric disabilities have access to stable supportive housing. Members of the Bring It Home coalition are working to ensure the 2018 state budget includes funding allocated to these nationally renowned, proven services.

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About the Coalition:  Bring It Home: Better Funding for Better Care
Bring it Home is coalition of community-based supportive housing providers, mental health advocates, consumers and their families, urging New York State to adequately fund community-based housing programs for individuals with psychiatric disabilities.  Full recovery and community reintegration depends on stable housing opportunities. Through education and advocacy, Bring it Home is working to bring better funding for better care to New York.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

TESTIFYING BEFORE LEGISLATURE, ADVOCATES URGE INCREASE IN FUNDING   FOR SUPPORTIVE MENTAL HEALTH HOUSING

At Assembly Hearing, Coalition Members Highlight Need for Increased Rates to Combat Decades of Unreliable Funding

Albany, New York - Members of the Bring It Home coalition explained to legislative leaders how unreliable funding has impacted mental health housing providers across the state at an Assembly Mental Health Committee hearing focused on housing for individuals with mental illness or developmental disabilities.

Stressing the need for better funding to care for some of the state’s must vulnerable citizens, Antonia Lasicki, Executive Director of the Association for Community Living, described the precarious state of our community-based mental health housing providers in light of years of unstable funding and stretched budgets.

“By not providing these housing programs the funding they need, recovery can be impacted – to the point of destroying lives and families,” said Lasicki. “Without adequate and consistent funding, New York’s system of community-based mental health housing will lose providers, leaving those with serious psychiatric disabilities at risk of displacement. They can be hospitalized, become homeless, enter nursing homes, or become incarcerated—all at a greater taxpayer expense than the support we offer.”

She noted that many members of the coalition have also written letters to the Governor urging him to act and include the increased funding in the state budget. Lasicki quoted many providers from those letters that made it clear that housing is in serious jeopardy.

“New York has historically been a national leader in mental health care,” Lasicki continued. “Under the leadership of both Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his father Mario – and with the strong support of the Legislature – New York set new national standards for caring for, and protecting, people with psychiatric disabilities. However, despite offering a breadth and depth of mental health housing that is unparalleled in the nation, the state has not kept its promise to adequately fund these housing programs that care for our family members, friends and neighbors who most need help.”

Currently, New York’s community-based housing providers only receive $7,600 to $40,000 per person per year—to cover room and board, medication supervision, case management, transportation, rehabilitation services, 24-hour staffing, and more. By comparison, care for residents of the state’s psychiatric hospitals cost $310,000 per person per year.

Other members of the statewide coalition spoke about the impact of underfunding on workforce with high turnover rates, stretching budgets, and the very real effects on residents and their families.

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About Bring It Home:
Bring It Home is coalition of community-based supportive housing providers, mental health advocates, patients and their families, urging New York State to adequate fund community-based housing programs for individuals with psychiatric disorders.  Full recovery and community reintegration depends on stable housing opportunities. Through education and advocacy, Bring It Home is working to bring better funding for better care to New York.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 4, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

ICYMI: BRING IT HOME OP-ED FEATURED IN POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL, URGES STATE TO ADEQUATELY FUND MENTAL HEALTH HOUSING SYSTEM

New York Has A Choice To Be The “National Model” Or Allow System To “Collapse And Become Example Of What Can Go Wrong”

ALBANY, NY – As the budget season and legislative session approach, Bring It Home: Better Funding For Better Care coalition member and Executive Director of the Association For Community Living Toni Lasicki highlighted the critical need for funding supportive housing in an opinion piece published today in the  Poughkeepsie Journal.

In her piece, Lasicki presses that New York’s mental health housing system is at a financial breaking point. Without adequate funding, the state risks compromising the stability and recovery of tens of thousands of New Yorkers with serious psychiatric disabilities who rely on community-based mental health housing to help them reintegrate into their communities and recover.

She writes, “Without this housing, these New Yorkers are hospitalized, become homeless, enter nursing homes or are incarcerated. All at a much higher cost to taxpayers.”

New York is known as the national leader in mental healthcare. Lasicki highlights how the leadership of both Governors Andrew and Mario Cuomo set new national standards for caring and protecting people with psychiatric disabilities. With 40,000 units of mental health housing, the New York State has to keep its “promise to adequately fund these housing programs which care for our family members, friends, and neighbors who most need help.”

Lasicki and the Bring It Home coalition members—including over 110 organizations across the state—are urging our state leaders to put New Yorkers with psychiatric disabilities first and show the national how a strong system can succeed when properly supported.

Read the full OP-ED here: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/opinion/2017/11/30/states-mental-health-housing-system-faces-crisis/902529001/

About the Coalition:  Bring It Home: Better Funding for Better Care
Bring it Home is coalition of community-based supportive housing providers, mental health advocates, consumers and their families, urging New York State to adequately fund community-based housing programs for individuals with psychiatric disabilities.  Full recovery and community reintegration depends on stable housing opportunities. Through education and advocacy, Bring it Home is working to bring better funding for better care to New York.

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 9, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

MORE THAN 110 ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS NEW YORK STATE JOIN “BRING IT HOME” CAMPAIGN

Growing Coalition of Advocates and Providers Gains Statewide Momentum, Implores State to Adequately Fund Supportive Housing

ALBANY, N.Y. – In less than one month since launching, more than 110 organizations from across New York State have joined the Bring It Home campaign, an effort to demand full and adequate funding for community-based supportive housing from Governor Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers. The member organizations include both advocates and housing providers, and continue to grow steadily in numbers.
This growing coalition is urging the state to uphold its reputation as a leader in providing supportive housing and care for New Yorkers with psychiatric disabilities, and to allocate much-needed funding to the community-based mental health housing system.

“This first milestone is proof positive that the imminent need for adequate funding for the community-based mental health housing system is a statewide issue that must be resolved,” said Toni Lasicki, Executive Director of the Association for Community Living. “With decades of inconsistent and unreliable funding, facilities are becoming unable to meet their obligations to the clients they serve, plus there is a real risk of them closing housing if this is not fixed.”

“Insufficient funding means insufficient care; it’s that simple,” said Wendy Burch, Executive Director of National Alliance of Mental Illness-New York State. “When facilities don’t have the resources they need to provide care, more and more New Yorkers with psychiatric disabilities fall through the cracks, ending up homeless, in prison or worse. The state needs to live up to its obligation to care for our neighbors, and help us to address this major health crisis.”

“For those living with psychiatric disabilities, the lack of a stable home means constantly starting recovery over from square one,” said Harvey Rosenthal, Executive Director of New York Association for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services. “Giving us the funding we need to provide the best possible care means an opportunity for real recovery for our residents, and for reintegration into their families and communities."

“It’s critical that nonprofit organizations providing supportive housing for our most vulnerable have adequate resources to provide both the housing and services to tenants so they can live successfully in our communities,” stated Laura Mascuch, Executive Director of the Supportive Housing Network of New York. “Without adequate services, they will not get the care they need and will just cycle back through much more expensive systems of care like institutions and shelters.”

See all the Organizations supporting Bring It Home Here!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 10, 2017                                                                                                                                                                      MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Mansfield, 518-339-7769, mmansfield@skdknick.com

NEW COALITION LAUNCHES “BRING IT HOME” CAMPAIGN CALLING ON THE STATE TO BETTER FUND MENTAL HEALTH HOUSING

Advocates Call for “Better Funding for Better Care”, Emphasizing Need for New York to Live Up to Its Reputation as a National Leader and Address Major Health Crisis

Albany, NY – A coalition of mental health advocates and supportive housing providers today launched the “Bring It Home: Better Funding for Better Care” campaign to call on the state to adequately fund community-based mental health housing programs in an effort to pull the housing system away from its impending financial breaking point. 

Despite New York’s nation-leading 40,000 community-based mental health housing units, the system has been left financially stretched untenably thin by decades of inconsistent and unreliable state funding. New York has a moral obligation to protect this critical system by providing for people with serious psychiatric disabilities – who often have significant medical conditions and substance abuse issues as well.

“A stable home is the foundation of care and recovery for New Yorkers with psychiatric disabilities,” said Toni Lasicki, Executive Director of the Association for Community Living (ACL). “It’s our responsibility as New Yorkers to help care for our neighbors, and ensuring continuity of care is key to supporting those with serious and persistent psychiatric disabilities. Without reliable, adequate and continuous funding, providers will cease operations, leading to shortages of critical community-based housing units and punishing those who need help the most.”

“The Governor and Mayor of NYC have announced commitments to 35,000 new units of supportive housing but if we lose existing housing due to chronic underfunding, we are just moving one step forward and two steps back,” said Laura Mascuch, Executive Director of the Supportive Housing Network of New York (The Network).

A failure to adequately fund care for its most vulnerable residents will result in profound consequences – not only for our residents, but for taxpayers as well. “Without a stable home, our loved ones end up homeless, incarcerated, incapacitated or hospitalized—at immensely higher costs to the state and taxpayers,” said Wendy Burch, Executive Director of National Alliance of Mental Illness-New York State (NAMI-NYS).

People with psychiatric disabilities who are jailed or imprisoned, often for minor infractions, can cost roughly $45,000 - $75,000 annually. Hospitalizations can cost $300,000 to $400,000 per year.

In contrast, the community-based mental health housing system serves 40,000 of the state’s most vulnerable residents, but funding ranges from just $7,600 per person to $25,000, which is both unsustainable and completely insufficient to operate these highly complex and regulated programs.

This population needs providers that can keep up with emerging changes to the system, who can meet the myriad obligations required by the Office of Mental Health, The Justice Center, The Office of Medicaid Inspector, the Department of Health, and local governmental units, maintain a staff of consistent caregivers and provide supports to ensure that recipients are receiving appropriate care, showing up for their appointments and taking medications on schedule.

"Stable housing with supports is essential to the stability, health and recovery of New Yorkers with major mental health conditions," said Harvey Rosenthal, Executive Director of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS). "The lack or loss of housing leads to avoidable relapses and crises that simply force individuals back to square one, compromising the hard work and hope necessary to achieve recovery and reintegration into the community."

“Without appropriate funding, we are running the serious risk of allowing the continuum of community mental health housing in our state to collapse," said Glenn Liebman, Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS). 

Under the leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo, and previously his father Governor Mario Cuomo, New York led the nation in caring for those with serious psychiatric disabilities. Now, the state has an opportunity to show the nation how to address a major health crisis by promoting an approach with stable mental health housing programs that ensure integrated care. Without sustained and increased funding for these crucial programs, New York risks losing its reputation as a national leader and forsaking this population.

About the Coalition: Bring It Home: Better Funding for Better Care
Bring it Home is a coalition of community-based supportive housing providers, mental health advocates, consumers and their families, urging New York State to adequately fund community-based housing programs for individuals with psychiatric disabilities. Full recovery and community reintegration depends on stable housing opportunities. Through education and advocacy, Bring it Home is working to bring better funding for better care to New York.

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