North Country Behavioral Healthcare Network & Management Services

Check out the Citizens Advocates’ virtual impact report!

HAPPENING THIS FRIDAY!!! Please join the staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs Watertown Vet Center, on May 21st, 2021 from 9:00am to 10:30am. All are welcomed to attend this highly informative event, to discuss resource connection for Veterans, Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, and their family members, as well as community partners. #ncbhn #goodmorningnorthcountry #verterans #servicemembers #nationalguard #reserves #familymembers #resourceconnection

Please join the staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs Watertown Vet Center, on May 21st, 2021 from 9:00am to 10:30am. All are welcomed to attend this highly informative event, to discuss resource connection for Veterans, Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, and their family members, as well as community partners. #ncbhn #goodmorningnorthcountry #verterans #servicemembers #nationalguard #reserves #familymembers #resourceconnection

Senate Mental Health Committee chair Samra Brouk has introduced new legislation that would establish the three-digit, 9-8-8 national suicide prevention hotline number that individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, or their loved ones, could call or text to be connected to trained mental health counselors. The shortened, three-digit number will be easier to remember and allow more people to get help when it is needed and provide greatly needed alternative to a 911 ca...ll line that typically leads to police involvement. The 9-8-8 hotline is truly revolutionary. There’s no question we’re in the midst of a mental health crisis, and people need somewhere to turn. In addition to creating the hotline, our bill will also expand the use of mobile crisis teams across the state. This will improve response time, reduce the workload of law enforcement, and most importantly, it will help get people the care they need. NCBHN wants to share and encourage research about this bill. Adding this 3 digit number will allow people in trouble to get the direct help they need. Please help us share information about this bill!

Please check out this flyer on the upcoming weekly Virtual DBT Skills Group for Veterans, and Our Active Duty Service Members! We hope you will attend!

If you are planning on testing this year, be sure to prepare with the CASAC pre course! Registration deadline 4/22! Fill out your application today!

Panel Speakers Kevin McGinnis, MPS Program Manager, Community Paramedicine Mobile Integrated Healthcare, and Rural Emergency Care National Association of State EMS Officials Ryan Greenberg, NYS EMS Bureau Dan Batsie, Chief, Vermont EMS... REGISTER NOW https://us02web.zoom.us//tZ0uceyrqz0oHtBqE8eLq_zviBGNziVIs

Association for Community Living 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 ever...y year since its creation. Human services providers continue to battle the pandemic while providing care to vulnerable New Yorkers, especially those with persistent mental illnessfor 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 suppliesthings 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. 30 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.

A joint statement from Citizen Advocates and St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment & Recovery Centers in response to the Village of Malone Police Reform Process...

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If you are planning on testing this year, be sure to prepare with the CASAC pre course! Registration deadline 4/22! Fill out your application today!