Dozens of Testimonies Submitted to OAG Describe Challenges
in Psychological Well being Care in Western New York and throughout the State
NEW YORK – New York Lawyer Normal Letitia James held a public listening to on psychological well being care in Western New York. Dozens of impacted people, well being care suppliers, elected officers, and group members supplied testimony on their challenges accessing and offering psychological well being care and providers. Testimonies lined a variety of points, together with however not restricted to underfunding for group well being teams and well being care services, gaps in coordinated care, understaffing, and stigma round psychological well being care. This was Lawyer Normal James’ second public listening to on psychological well being providers in New York, following a listening to in New York Metropolis held in June 2022. Lawyer Normal James encourages New Yorkers who’ve confronted points or limitations accessing or offering psychological well being care to submit written testimony to her workplace by means of January twentieth. By way of these hearings, Lawyer Normal James goals to assemble enter instantly from city, suburban, and rural communities throughout the state to tell legislative options and enforcement actions.
“The final a number of months have been particularly devastating for Western New York and lots of have been left with out ample assets and care to handle their psychological well being wants,” stated Lawyer Normal James. “These hearings are important to our efforts to enhance psychological well being providers for New Yorkers, deliver down limitations to accessing psychological well being care, and assist communities heal. I thank each particular person who shared their private and sometimes painful experiences as a part of this listening to. Testimony and information gathered by my workplace will assist us deal with the psychological well being disaster gripping our state and be sure that ample and culturally competent care is on the market to all those that want it.”
21 people supplied oral testimony at this time, and almost 100 people have submitted written testimony to the Workplace of the Lawyer Normal (OAG). Written testimony might be accepted on-line by means of Friday, January 20, 2023, and all of the testimony might be made public.
The livestreamed occasion may be seen right here.
Lawyer Normal James’ first public listening to was held in June 2022 in New York Metropolis, and primarily targeted on points impacting the downstate area. Dozens of impacted members of the family, well being care suppliers, advocates, and elected officers testified within the New York Metropolis public listening to.
“Too many occasions, issues are stated about psychological sickness and what must be finished to make life higher for individuals who endure, however nothing is completed. As an alternative of empty phrases, actions have to be taken to point out that New York state actually cares in regards to the hundreds of people that endure on a regular basis with psychological sickness and the consequences it has, not solely on them, however on household, buddies and society,” stated Elisa and Joe Tobia, impacted members of the family who testified on the listening to. “Whereas having misplaced our 30-year-old son to schizoaffective dysfunction, the endeavor of Lawyer Normal James offers us hope for the long run. We can not thank Lawyer Normal James sufficient for taking the time to hear and be prepared to take motion to lastly assist those that want it so desperately.”
“High quality psychological well being providers are a vital part within the total well being of the group however entry to those providers isn’t all the time a given,” stated Erie County Govt Mark C. Poloncarz. “I thank Lawyer Normal James for holding this listening to to achieve enter from the people and companies who cope with psychological well being points each day, gaining worthwhile perspective that may help in bettering entry statewide.”
“As I work in my capability as Senate Psychological Well being Committee Chair to enhance psychological well being outcomes in my group and throughout the state, I’m inspired that Lawyer Normal Letitia James has taken an curiosity in bettering care in Western New York,” stated State Senator Samra Brouk. “The Lawyer Normal has distinctive energy to implement legislative and enforcement options, and I sit up for working together with her to handle unmet wants in our communities.”
“There’s a stigma surrounding psychological well being,” stated Erie County Legislature Chair April N.M. Baskin. “That stigma manifests itself in our private lives, the place we don’t really feel snug discussing or acknowledging our personal struggles, and that stigma manifests itself on the group stage as properly, the place we avert our eyes. However we will solely start to heal after we outline what ails us, and we will solely start to develop public insurance policies after we admit that this subject is actual and wide-ranging. I commend Lawyer Normal James for having the braveness to insist that we confront this subject and for proving an area for the general public to share their tales. This work is uncomfortable, however it’s important.”
“Psychological well being is simply as necessary as bodily well being. As our communities face an elevated want for psychological well being providers, nurses and healthcare professionals have seen hospital techniques all through the state shutter inpatient psychological well being and detox providers,” stated Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, President, New York State Nurses Affiliation. “Now isn’t the time to chop again on psychological well being providers. We thank Lawyer Normal James for holding this discussion board to debate the challenges to entry to care and sit up for actual options to make sure our communities can heal each mentally and bodily.”
“Too many New Yorkers are struggling to get entry to the continuum of disaster, inpatient, group helps and housing they want and deserve,” stated Harvey Rosenthal, CEO, New York Affiliation of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Companies. “Every single day, we see firsthand how dangerous it’s when these providers are underfunded and understaffed or not accessible in any respect. Nice due to Lawyer Normal James for bringing us collectively to debate challenges and determine actual options to assist our neighbors in want.”
“Thanks to Lawyer Normal Letitia James for convening this necessary public listening to. Altering a system would require a coordinated effort, should embody shoppers and friends within the answer, and can solely succeed if psychological well being is addressed at each stage,” stated Melinda DuBois, Govt Director, Psychological Well being Advocates of Western New York. “Primarily based on the trauma the Western New York group has skilled, we deserve higher. MHA is grateful to be a part of the answer.”
“Too many Western New Yorkers are struggling to acquire important psychological well being providers when in disaster. The DCSs have seen firsthand how dangerous it’s to a person’s restoration when services are underfunded, understaffed, and lack the capability to appropriately provide therapy throughout important occasions of want,” stated Laura J. Kelemen, LCSW-R (DCS, Niagara County), Chair, New York State Convention of Native Psychological Hygiene Administrators. “I need to sincerely thank Lawyer Normal James for bringing us collectively to debate these challenges and supply the state with actual options that assist our most weak enhance and thrive.”
“Too many New Yorkers, and a disproportionate variety of individuals of coloration, solely entry any type of behavioral well being care on account of a critical disaster. And even then, our first contact with the system stays restricted to police, emergency rooms, and hospital beds, stated Chacku Mathai, Member, New York State Behavioral Well being Companies Advisory Council. “We should transfer away from the failed investments and insurance policies of the previous and create a systemic shift to community-based hospital diversion providers resembling peer run and voluntary outreach and engagement and housing first initiatives. I need to thank Lawyer Normal James for bringing us collectively to debate challenges and give you actual options in order that we can assist these in want.”
Lawyer Normal James was joined by First Deputy Lawyer Normal Jennifer Levy, Assistant Lawyer Normal Michael Reisman, and Assistant Lawyer Normal and Particular Assistant to the First Deputy Lawyer Normal Gina Bull at some point of the listening to.