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���������� Note: ���������� is organizing and urging our members and others to advocate for the priorities listed below that were identified by our Public Policy, Cultural Competence Committee and Regional Coordinators.

• Please note that 8 of our most critical asks have already been addressed by Governor Hochul in one of the best Executive Budget we’ve seen in decades.

• Below those are budget items we are asking legislators to fund and laws we are asking them to pass. They include outreach, engagement, crisis and housing services that we regards as critically important alternatives to coercion. Also Medicaid, adult home and criminal justice reforms, additional groups for the COLA, investment dollars and maternal mental health initiatives.

• Please contact Eileen at eileenc@nyaprs.org for details about the March 10 Legislative Day (note COVID mitigation measures and meals).

• Make your virtual or face to face local appointments NOW with your legislators for the February 21-March 4 advocacy week and/or face to face meetings in Albany on March 10.

• Look for our Legislative Advocacy Book to come out week and to be the subject of two special 10:30 am webinars on this coming Tuesday February 15 and on the 22nd.

All Hands On Deck: Thank You!!

COME PARTICIPATE IN ���������� LEGISLATIVE DAYS!
February 21-March 4, 2022 

Save the Date for March 10th Albany Legislative Day 

February 15 and 22 Advocacy Prep Sessions

���������� will be working with encouraging our members to start scheduling virtual zoom advocacy meetings with their state legislators and/or their staff during this year’s ���������� Advocacy Weeks, between Tuesday February 23 to Friday March 5.

Below you will find this year’s advocacy priorities. We’ll be organizing 2 Advocacy Prep webinars at 10:30 to 11:30 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.

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.

���������� will be providing a continental breakfast and lunch.

As always, our program will feature presentations from ���������� 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 attached program schedule for that day. I’ll be sending out detailed summaries about our advocacy priorities for the coming 2022-23 budget and legislative sessions in the next day or so.

���������� 2022-23 State Budget Priorities

 Support Executive Budget Proposals

1. 5.4% Cost of Living Adjustment (see amendments below),

2. Workforce Retention Bonuses

3. $104 million to Bolster Housing Programs

4. Restore the Office of the Chief Disability Officer

5. Launch the 9-8-8 mental health hotline

6. Joseph A. Dwyer veteran peer support initiative $7.5 million

7. Managed Care Reinvestment for Behavioral Health Services $111 million

8. Medicaid Managed Care Plan Re-Procurement 

Legislative Priorities

1. Oppose Expansion of Kendra’s Law: Fund Voluntary Outreach, Engagement and Housing Programs

   1. $35 million for more Housing First programs

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

   3. $3 million to Create 6 Transitional Peer Bridger Programs to support more effective hospital discharge plans and follow up

2. Approve 5.4% COLA and amend language to

   1. include Health Home Care Management and Supportive Housing programs and

   2. remove the “sunset” revision to help ensure that COLAs will be included in all future budgets

3. $500 million Investment in Behavioral Health Services

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

5. Approve Cell Phone Tax to Sustain 9-8-8 program

6. Mental Health/EMT Alternative to Police First Responders

7. Pass Clean Slate (S1553A/A6399)

8. Pass Treatment not Jails (S2881B/A8524A)

9. Protect Adult Home Residents’ Safety and Rights and Promote their Successful Transitions to the Community (A.196/S.1576); Approve $250,000 for Adult Home Residents’ Advocacy