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Alliance Board of Directors Announces 2025 Awardees

At this year’s Alliance for Rights and Recovery Annual Conference, the Alliance Board of Directors will honor the work of an extraordinary group of individuals and organizations whose vision, leadership, and dedication have advanced recovery, human rights, and peer support across ���������� State and the nation. Please join us at the Villa Roma at 5:00 pm September 30!

See below for some conference details and registration information.

CONGRATULATE THIS STELLAR GROUP OF HEROES WITH AN AD IN THIS YEAR’S CONFERENCE JOURNAL!

Please celebrate their accomplishments by taking out an ad in this year’s Conference journal. In doing so, your ad will not only recognize their impact but also demonstrate your commitment to our shared mission. Don’t miss this chance to be part of a memorable moment of recognition and inspiration!

SALLY ZINMAN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The Sally Zinman Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual who has a long record of exemplary contributions to the recovery, rehabilitation and rights of people with psychiatric disabilities.

Susan Rogers has been active in the consumer/survivor/ex-patient movement since 1984, has had a 36-year career as a writer, editor, public relations professional and public speaker. She has presented trainings, including keynotes, on various mental health-related subjects at a wide variety of national, statewide, and local conferences; has appeared on television and on the radio; and has been interviewed in the print media to address the stigma and discrimination associated with psychiatric diagnoses. She is the author of numerous articles on mental health-related topics, and she has edited several publications. She is director of the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse, a peer-run national technical assistance center funded in part by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and director of special projects of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Before joining the Mental Health Association in 1986, she was editor-in-chief of a national publication on health and personal finance. Susan was the 2011 recipient of the Judi Chamberlin Joy in Advocacy Award.

Mark Salzer
For over 20 years as the director at TU’s Collaborative on Community Inclusion, Dr. Salzer has been one of the preeminent voices of the Recovery Movement. Under his leadership, the Collaborative has built a significant base of research that makes one thing clear: people diagnosed with mental health conditions and/or participating in mental health services thrive and contribute when given opportunities for full participation in their larger communities. Additionally, Dr. Salzer has made significant contributions to the field of peer support, promoting its growth, but also protecting its fidelity (on a personal note, TU hosts the Peer Support Action Agenda I developed with Rita Cronise and Jessica Wolf; TU also continues to provide a home for the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse.) Dr. Salzer’s numerous writings and studies, as well as those from his team at TU, should be required reading for anyone invested in the Recovery Movement. I am honored to nominate him for the Sally Zinman Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor he has clearly earned, and know he will continue to play an important role in our movement

Anthony Fox
From 2003 to his recent retirement, Anthony Fox has played a pivotal role in the creation of landmark peer support programs and in the development of national grassroots advocacy for human rights and peer support innovations. 

Over the past two decades, Anthony founded one of the nation’s first managed care funded Peer Link program, a Peer Center, P2P Education and Support initiative and the Peer Empowerment Project. As Board President of the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery, He also played major role in the development of state and national grassroots advocacy movements and campaigns and played an instrumental role keeping the historic Alternatives Conference alive after federal funding was withdrawn.

Anthony’s watch words: “we will be free and empowered to express our unique voices, to learn from each other in the spirit of self-help, mutual support, and the principles of recovery in action, with the goal of living full and independent lives in the community.”

Lori Accardi
For more than four decades, Lori Accardi was a pillar of leadership, compassion, and vision at Catholic Charities of Broome County. Joining the agency in 1980, she initially thought her stay would be just one year. Since then, she led the agency with great vision and impact, creating housing options for people with mental illness and developmental disabilities, expanding supports to help families stay together, and establishing programs for children facing mental health challenges, involvement with juvenile justice, and school placement difficulties. More recently, she spearheaded the creation of Encompass Family Health Home in partnership with colleagues across the state, a groundbreaking initiative to improve outcomes for families and children.

Her impact extended well beyond Broome County. Lori has long described herself as a grassroots organizer, and her record reflects that spirit. She chaired and participated in numerous committees of the ���������� State Catholic Conference and played a key role in state-level advocacy groups, working tirelessly to improve the lives of the most vulnerable and disenfranchised.

Beyond her professional achievements, Lori has been an inspiring mentor and steadfast colleague. Those who have worked alongside her describe her as approachable, deeply committed, and always ready to roll up her sleeves during a crisis—including two major community floods. Her blend of strategic vision, heartfelt compassion, and unwavering advocacy has strengthened not only Catholic Charities but the entire community it serves.

Lori’s career is a testament to what can be accomplished when dedication, vision, and heart come together in service to others. She has devoted her life to advancing dignity, equity, and opportunity for those who need it most, and her legacy will continue to inspire for generations.

BRENDAN NUGENT LEADERSHIP AWARD
The Brendan Nugent Leadership Award is presented to an inspiring leader for their exemplary efforts in promoting and advancing the empowerment of their peers in ���������� State.

Alliance for Rights and Recovery Peer Navigators
From 2023 until last month, our Alliance for Rights and Recovery Peer Navigators skillfully engaged and supported almost 1,000 ����������ers living with major challenges, providing them with information and encouragement to successfully enroll in their local Community Oriented Recovery and Empowerment programs. Despite working in an environment of unstable on-and-off again funding, this dedicated team consistently demonstrated a very inspiring  level of devotion to the people they served, to each other and to the Alliance, up to and after the program’s termination due to the lapsing of federal funding in July.

FRANCES Olivero ADVOCACY AWARD
The Frances Olivero Advocacy Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated inspiring community leadership and advocacy on behalf of ����������ers with psychiatric disabilities. 

Arvind Sooknanan
As the son of Guyanese immigrants and someone who has struggled with severe mental illness (SMI), Arvind Sooknanan grew up believing that hope was a privilege. After navigating a myriad of sub-par social services, Arvind found Fountain House, where he successfully obtained supportive housing, graduated college, led a historic and successful political campaign for ���������� State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, and led the Indo Caribbean Alliance. Arvind now has a seat on the Board of Directors of Fountain House, where he is helping to pilot a community-supported housing model in the Bronx that is being backed by public officials, community residents, and developers. His mission is to reimagine community support for ����������ers living with SMI at scale to build pathways toward sustainable housing, wealth and economic opportunity toward independence and recovery.

Read about Arvind’s work in the and via his column that was a part of a successful campaign to win expansion of clubhouses in NYC and NYS. 

JASON BRODY FAITH AND FELLOWSHIP AWARD
The Jason Brody Faith & Fellowship Award is presented to an individual who has been an extraordinary source of kindness, caring and devotion to people within their local mental health community.

Amy Brinkley
Amy Brinkley has over 14 years of leading and investing in the lives of others, guided by her devotion to recovering people and her faith in God. Amy’s career has included: creating recovery programs for women in the prison within the Indiana Department of Corrections, her service as Director for Recovery Support Services for the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and as the Bureau Chief for the Office of Family and Consumer Affairs at the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction. She current serves as the CEO and Executive Director/Founder, Paul’s Plan Ministries; She is the author of “.

Mark Townsend
Mark Townsend has long been a leading voice in the harm reduction movement, that promotes strategies and practices focused on reducing the negative consequences associated with drug use, like the cyclical trauma of criminalization and social stigmatization. In 1993, long before the terms harm reduction or “” were popularized, Townsend joined his wife, Liz Evans, a psychiatric nurse and fellow activist, in founding the  (PHS), a radical non-profit in the Downtowns Eastside (DTES) of Vancouver that provides housing, advocacy, and services for the “hardest to house”; people with addictions often compounded by severe mental health issues. He has described his mission in the following way: “It is just simple. Accept there are people who use drugs, give them housing, and treat them like a normal human being.” The Alliance has selected Mark to receive this award because of his very compassionate and relentless support and advocacy on behalf of a longtime Alliance and Fountain House member who, were it not for his and her efforts, would have been relegated to a permanent life in a nursing home, instead of the apartment program where she successfully resides today.

PUBLIC POLICY LEADERSHIP AWARD
The Public Policy Leadership Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding public leadership in advocacy on behalf of ����������ers with psychiatric disabilities.    

Jo Anne Simon
Jo Anne Simon is nationally recognized passionate advocate for disability rights, education, and social justice. After founding a disability civil rights law firm, she became nationally recognized for her leadership role in chairing various local coalitions and task forces addressing affordable housing, environmental justice, and public safety.

As chair of the NYS Assembly Committee on Mental Health, she has championed legislation in gender equity, gun violence prevention, disability rights and affordable housing. She was a passionate opponent of last session’s proposals to expand the use of involuntary mental health treatment, focusing instead on stronger post discharge supports like housing and outpatient treatment. She has repeatedly called for more robust investment in sustained behavioral health infrastructure to complement legislative reforms.

Assembly member Simon has introduced bi-cameral legislation to require the NYS Office of Mental Health to study the effects that awareness of or exposure to police shootings or killings of unarmed African Americans has on the mental health of African Americans and to deliver a finding of the results of such study to the governor and the legislative leaders.

Beth Haroules
Since her start as staff attorney at the ���������� Civil Liberties Union in 1994, Beth Haroules has served as one of the state’s and nation’s staunchest advocates for the rights of people with psychiatric disabilities. She has led countless campaigns against proposals to increase the use of involuntary outpatient and inpatient treatment and worked closely with the Alliance and other colleagues to oppose such proposals last session.

Beth has played a major role in pushing for the passage of Daniel’s Law first responder legislation that successfully led to approval for the creation of 5 pilots that will become operational in the coming year. She is widely known for her longtime work regarding the Willowbrook class action litigation and the Hirschfeld v. HHC/Kings County conditions litigation associated with the death of Esmin Green in that hospital’s emergency room.

MARTY SMITH MEMORIAL AWARD
The Marty Smith Memorial Award is presented to an inspired and innovative individual or organization that has made exemplary contributions to the advancement of best practices in service to ����������ers with psychiatric disabilities. It was named in honor of the director of Watertown’s Bridges clubhouse, Marty Smith, who worked with Gerry Smith (no relation) and other members in the 1990’s to found and operate the only ICCD certified clubhouse in the North Country.

Hudson Valley Clubhouse
In 2006, OMH and local county governments began to close club programs and, by the mid 2010’s, only 2 were left in upstate ���������� and Long Island, leaving a huge gap in the lives of people and in their local mental health service systems. In 2022, a small group of mental health advocates declared their intent to bring back clubhouse to the Poughkeepsie area, leading to the opening of the Hudson Valley Clubhouse in a lovely 3 story Victorian home in the center of town in 2024. A year and a half later, it has come to support upwards of 150 members in keeping with the time-honored standards established by the International Center for Clubhouse Development.

Earlier this year, and, thanks to the advocacy by club members, the Alliance and Fountain House, the Hochul Administration included funding for over 5 new clubhouses, bringing back clubhouses to upstate ���������� and Long Island in her budget!

MURIEL SHEPHERD PARTNERS WITH FAMILIES AWARD
The Partners with Families Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated inspiring leadership in the advancement of the alliance of families and consumers in promoting the recovery, rehabilitation and rights of people with psychiatric disabilities.

Russell Stence has been an inspiring advocate for the rights and recovery of people with psychiatric disabilities, always centering the voice of families in our collective work. As both a leader and a parent of two daughters with lived experience of mental health challenges, Russell brings a deeply personal and powerful perspective to his advocacy. His commitment to building a more humane and compassionate system is grounded in his family’s journey and his determination to ensure others receive the support and dignity they deserve.

Over the past year, Russell has been a steadfast partner to the Alliance. He has raised the family voice at our press conferences, including during our fight against the expansion of involuntary commitment in ����������. He also represented ���������� and family advocates nationally with the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery in Washington, DC this past June, helping to strengthen federal advocacy for community-based, voluntary services.

Russell’s leadership reflects the spirit of this award: advancing recovery, rehabilitation, and rights by uniting families and consumers in common cause. His courage in sharing his family’s experience, his tireless advocacy for peer support and community-based services, and his unwavering partnership with the Alliance make him an outstanding candidate for the Muriel Shepherd Partners with Families Award.

PUBLIC EDUCATION AWARD
The Public Education Award is presented to an individual whose reporting has informed policy makers and the public about the policy priorities and accomplishments of ����������ers with psychiatric disabilities.

Kate Lisa
Over the past several years, Spectrum News Staff Writer Kate has distinguished herself as one of the most consistent and thoughtful reporters covering mental health and related policy at the ���������� State Capitol. Her journalism has been instrumental in ensuring that the public receives accurate, balanced, and timely information about critical policy debates affecting people with mental health and substance use challenges.

Kate’s work reflects a deep commitment to covering all perspectives. She consistently includes the voices of advocates, community members, policymakers, and even those in opposition, creating reporting that is fair, comprehensive, and grounded in facts. This commitment to nuance and accuracy has helped ensure that ����������ers—both the general public and decision-makers—can better understand the complexities of mental health policy.

Her tireless efforts to research, learn, and report on emerging legislative proposals and budget decisions have provided a vital public service. Kate’s coverage not only captures the immediate stakes of policy changes but also sheds light on the broader systems, challenges, and opportunities within ����������’s mental health landscape.

CELIA BROWN JUSTICE FOR ALL CHAMPION AWARD
The Celia Brown Justice For All Champion Award is presented in heartfelt recognition of an individual’s inspiring contributions to advancing social justice for the full diversity of people with mental health, substance use, and trauma-related challenges.

Vesper Moore
Vesper is a national leader in the peer movement and disability rights advocacy. As Chief Operating Officer of the Kiva Centers, they have helped expand peer-run crisis respite programs that provide compassionate alternatives to hospitalization. Vesper has consistently supported rights protection work, including legislative advocacy at both the state and federal levels and efforts to resist practices that harm rather than heal.

Beyond this, Vesper is an Indigenous activist and international advocate who has brought the voices of people with lived experience to the United Nations, the U.S. government, and globalmental health organizations. They have been featured by NBC News, PBS NewsHour, Politico, and The White House, amplifying the call for justice and dignity. Their work highlights the importance of trauma-informed, intersectional, and community-driven solutions to advance equity and civil rights.

Earl Miller
Earl Miller has been a tireless advocate for mental health rights and one of the nation’s leading voices for building compassionate, non-police crisis response systems. Throughout his career, Earl has worked to ensure that people experiencing mental health and substance use challenges are met with dignity, respect, and effective supports centered on health and recovery rather than punishment or coercion.

Currently serving as the Director of Community Supports at the Wildflower Alliance, Earl has advanced peer-led, community-based alternatives that challenge the overreliance on law enforcement in crisis situations. His leadership has helped localities and organizations across the region design and implement responses that prioritize healing, equity, and the wisdom of lived experience. Earl’s commitment is evident in his role as the former Director of the civilian-response department in Amherst, MA—Community Responders for Equity, Safety, and Service (CRESS)—one of the first of its kind in the country. Under his guidance, CRESS became a model for how communities can create public safety alternatives rooted in peer support, equity, and compassion.

Earl Miller’s vision, advocacy, and leadership have inspired countless peers, providers, and policymakers to reimagine how communities respond to crisis. His unwavering focus on creating humane, person-centered alternatives has saved lives, advanced rights, and laid the groundwork for a more just and equitable mental health system.

The Kristin Vincent Leadership Award
The Kristin Vincent Leadership Award is presented to a Board member who has a long record of devotion and exemplary contributions to advancing the recovery, rights, and dignity of ����������ers with mental health, substance use, and trauma-related challenges.

Robyn Krueger has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing the recovery, rights, and dignity of ����������ers with mental health, substance use, and trauma-related challenges.

Robyn has been a steadfast advocate for mental health and substance use recovery for decades and this work and advocacy is clearly exemplified in her board participation and leadership. Her dedication to this cause is evident in the unwavering years of service she as given to the Alliance. Bringing a level of excellence and accuracy to every discussion.

Robyn has held every leadership position on the board with grace and dignity mentoring all who have come behind her. And even laterally working with other members to assure excellence and dignity reside in their service to the Alliance as well. Her leadership has inspired others to join the cause and work towards a more inclusive and supportive community.

Robyn’s attention has a clear focus for the impact on community Upholding standards for measurable outcomes and improvements for the lives of many ����������ers. She is known for her empathy, resilience, and ability to inspire others. She has a unique ability to connect with individuals on a personal level, making them feel heard and valued. Her unwavering commitment to the cause and her ability to lead by example makes her an extremely deserving candidate for the Kristin Vincent Leadership Award.

In conclusion, Robyn’s long-standing dedication, exemplary contributions, advocacy, and leadership have made a significant impact on the lives of many ����������ers. Her personal qualities and commitment to advancing the recovery, rights, and dignity of individuals with mental health, substance use, and trauma-related challenges make her an outstanding candidate for this prestigious award.

Our Alliance for Rights and Recovery is extremely pleased to share some details of this year’s Annual Conference, entitled  to be held from September 29-October 1^st at the  in Callicoon, NY.

See the entire program later this morning!

Our team and presenters have put together an especially timely, powerful program, featuring a number of the state’s and nation’s most respected and cherished experts and change agents, most notably in the areas of innovative outreach, peer support, rehabilitation and housing supports; crisis, hospital and criminal justice diversion and re-entry models; wellness, healing and health promotion; racial equity, social justice and community inclusion; and best practice tools that promote self-determination and self-direction.

Most of all, our conference is offering attendees a very special opportunity to gather amongst our peers and colleagues, to share how we feel and what we can do to respond to the mounting threats to people’s rights, privacy and options.

Over the course of the 3 days of the conference, attendees will meet and share their thoughts and concerns with an array of prominent presenters who often serve as keynoters at other such events.

We expect that rooms will be going fast now that our program is out and our scholarships are distributed over the coming days so register today for the  and using this link for .

Please contact Eileen Crosby at eileenc@rightsandrecovery.org with any questions and sign up and check our Alliance E-News listserv for frequent news and updates.

We’re excited to announce the launch of our official online store—
your one-stop shop for exclusive Annual Conference gear! Start exploring and show your conference pride—!