April, 2021
The Voice is Families Together in New York State's Newsletter. We will continue to update you on a monthly basis with information that is important to families, and youth across the State of New York.
For further information visit our website:
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2021 Annual Conference
Wednesday, May 5th, 2021
Families Together in New York State encourages the empowerment of parents, children and youth with social, emotional, behavioral health and cross system challenges by offering scholarships to the Annual Conference. Family members and youth exemplifying qualities as leaders and advocates in their communities are encouraged to apply.
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Join us Tuesday, May 4th, 2021 at 2:00PM
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Families Together is hosting a 75-minute panel discussion along with Ernie and Joe, as well as other law enforcement, and community leaders. The goal will be to discuss the intersection of law enforcement and mental health crisis.
Joining the panel is Rochester Mayor, Lovely Warren, to discuss reform efforts for policing in her city and how to effectively address mental health intervention.
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CONFERENCE GIVEAWAY
After registering for the 2021 Virtual Conference, you will be automatically entered in a raffle for a chance to win a prize. Families Together will be giving away an 8th Generation Apple iPad to two lucky winners or a $150 Amazon Gift Card. In order to win you must be registered and attend the conference on May 5th.
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MICHELLE ZUK
Michelle Zuk is the mother of 3 children with a variety of behavioral health and physical health challenges. She lives in Oneonta, NY which is in the central region of the state. She has many years of advocacy experience with her own children and professionally with the Head Start Program and with both the Residential Family Peer Support Program and the Chenango, Otsego and Delaware County Coordinated Children’s Services Initiative. She is the Executive Director of the Family Resource Network in Oneonta, NY and the current Immediate Past President of the Families Together’s Board of Directors. Her leadership on the Board has been a great asset.
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Resources for families affected by COVID-19; Prioritizing mental and physical health while staying home.
Families Together is here to help.
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2021 FTNYS Digital Advocacy Center. Stay home. Stay Healthy. Take action.
Stay up-to-date with all our advocacy efforts and use emails, social media, and phone calls. We might have to stay home, but our advocacy doesn't have to.
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Free To Be, Live!
Thursday, April 15th,
4:00pm - 5:00pm
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Children's Mental Health Awareness Week
May 2nd - 8th
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Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops Panel Discussion
Tuesday, May 4th
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Pre-Virtual Conference event will be available to all 2021 Conference participants.
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2021 Annual Conference
May 5th
All day
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Spring School 2021 Webinar Series
May 11th + 25th & June 8th
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Changing Your Perspective
Wednesday, May 19th, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Leadership & Poetry Workshop
Thursday, May 20th,
4:00 - 5:00pm
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Virtual University of Youth Power
Thursday & Friday, June 24th & 25th
More registration information coming soon.
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Victories and Continued Advocacy in the 2022 Budget
This has been a whirlwind of a budget season unlike any other. Due to COVID-19, the year began with the threat of looming 20% across the board cuts to state funding. Thanks to unprecedented levels of federal aid distributed to our state as well as increased tax revenue, we are proud to report that the worst outcome was avoided. Proposed cuts to behavioral health services, developmental disabilities education, juvenile justice, and child welfare were mostly restored with few exceptions. FTNYS and national partners fought tooth-and-nail to achieve this outcome. We want to thank our network for fighting alongside us. Even so, we must recognize that simply maintaining funding at pre-pandemic funding levels isn’t enough when those levels are historically insufficient. We have earned a well deserved victory, but there is more work to be done for NY families and youth.
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OMH Asks for Block Grant Feedback in Regional Sessions
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Recent federal legislation provides supplemental funding to mental health services through time-limited expansions of the Community Mental Health Services (CMHS) Block Grant and the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) share of funds for Medicaid programs. The Office of Mental Health (OMH) is seeking feedback from community stakeholders to identify opportunities for how to best use these funds to meet unmet prevention, treatment, and recovery supports for people with or at risk of serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance.
FTNYS, in partnership with the NYS Coalition for Children's Behavioral Health, has specific recommendations for how this funding can best serve youth and families. This includes expanding funding for mobile crisis, additional family peer and youth peer services, community police training, and much more. You can read more about our funding recommendations here.
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MEET THE
PARENT ADVISORS
Which Parent Advisor loves
to play Racquetball?
Diana Mendez
New York City
Regional Parent Advisor
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Diana Mendez is a parent of two children. She has been an advocate for more than 20 years. Through her personal journey as a mom of a child with Autism she gathered much lived experience. Diana was an early adopter of family support and for years ran a group out of her home for other parents with the same needs as her family were struggling with. Diana learned early the need for promoting family driven and youth guided practice. As a NYC Regional Parent Advisor, she strongly believes she can help empower and teach parents and youth how to use their voices to advocate for themselves.
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SCAA presents: State of the New York's Children.
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Watch our friends at the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy provide their annual data overview outlining the key metrics around the health and well-being of New York's children that policymakers need to consider when deciding on this year's budget.
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Meet Dorothy Weiss, one of the newest members of the Youth Power Advisory Council (YPAC) and Families Together in New York State’s Youth Peer Service Advisory Council (YPSAC).
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Join the FTNYS Team!
Long Island Regional Youth Partner Position
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There is an opening in Families Together in NYS, Inc., Youth Power, which is the statewide network of young people who have been labeled and are seeking change.
Applicants must send a resume with a formal cover letter to
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#VUYP21 is Here!
Submit Your Advocacy Art Today!
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New Episode & Event with Free To Be
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We are excited to announce a brand new episode from our very first podcast, Free To Be, is available now! Listen to the new episode now!
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Free to be will also be hosting a LIVE episode on Zoom on April 15th 4:00-5:00 PM! Join our hosts, Zack and Robbie, for an engaging and interactive podcast about all thinLGBTQ+.
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Join Our Peer Supervisors Meetings
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Youth Peer Meetings Are Here for You!
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Making Space at Work: Exploring Secondary Trauma
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Thurs, April 29th
1-2 PM
Presented by:
Julian Cohen-Serrins, LCSW
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Vicarious trauma (VT) can be understood as the transformation of a client’s traumatic experiences to a clinician, causing that clinician to themselves have their own trauma reaction. It is estimated that over 90% of clinicians work with survivors of trauma and are therefore at risk for VT. VT can be detrimental to clinician well-being, longevity in the field, and our ability to serve communities in need. This webinar will focus on supporting providers in understanding what VT looks and feels like.
The goals for this webinar are to:
- To be able to identify VT in yourself and your workplace
- Provide a brief overview of the research on VT
- Create space to discuss experiences with VT
- Provide a primer on how VT can be approached and mitigated in the workplace
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YPA 4-day Virtual Training
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Don't miss the next Youth Peer Advocate (YPA) Level 2 in-person (virtual) training of 2021!
1-hour orientation:
May 10 @ 1-2 PM
4 Virtual classes:
May 13-14 and May 17-18
@ 12-4 PM each day
Pre-register only if….
- You hold a YPA Provisional Credential.
- You completed all of the YPA Level 2 online modules.
- You are employed as a YPA providing Youth Support Services.
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Good news! Federal law has changed, and significant new tax credits are now available to New Yorkers who buy a health plan through NY State of Health. Learn more here.
The American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law on March 11, 2021, will lower health care costs by providing new and expanded financial assistance to New Yorkers enrolling in health insurance through NY State of Health.
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Together Empowering Asian Minds (TEAM)
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TEAM’s mission is to engage, educate and empower Asian Americans with culturally relevant resources and peer support so as to destigmatize seeking help for mental health problems. TEAM envisions a world where Asian Americans with mental illnesses can speak freely, share openly, and experience acceptance and support without shame and judgement.
Visit their website for peer support and culturally relevant resources to engage, educate, and empower Asian Americans to seek help for mental health challenges.
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EMPOWERING FAMILIES. COORDINATING SYSTEMS.
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