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The Redesign of Housing
In the Spring of 2007, the NYS Office of Mental Health, reached out to the residential providers in New York State asking them to review and provide feedback to the Guiding Principles for the Re-design of the (OMH) Housing and Community Support Policies. The message from the OMH was that safe,...
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Stable Housing: Key to Closing the Mortality Gap
Stable housing is critical to closing the disparity in life expectancy between people with serious mental illness and the general population. Providing it should be a major part of the effort to confront the mortality gap. People with serious mental illness die considerably younger than the...
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Providing Supportive Housing Options for Young Adults
Supported housing for young adults living with mental/emotional challenges, including chemical dependency, is a rare commodity in New York and is almost non-existent on Staten Island. No government funding, no agency contracts, no housing plans or programs for youth over 18 years old who have aged...
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Residential Support for Individuals with Mental Illness: Its History and Hopes for the Future
The availability of housing for adults living with mental illness in Westchester County, New York, has seldom been scarcer than it is at this time, and for many it is altogether inaccessible. I understand many readers will be surprised by such a bold assertion and some may dismiss it as mere...
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Social Security Matters – The Impact of Special Housing on Social Security Disability Claims
We are thrilled to be writing the first of what we hope will be many articles for Mental Health News. I hope that the quality and content of our columns will be up to the high standards I see as I look at the current issue. Many people who struggle with a mental illness also have difficulty...
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Suffolk Agency Expands into Brooklyn
After over 25 years of developing primarily small, scattered site projects in Suffolk County, Concern for Independent Living is pleased to open The Rochester Avenue Apartments, our first Single-Site Supportive Housing program in Brooklyn. Using New York New York III funding, this 65-unit apartment...
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Supportive Housing: A Cornerstone to Recovery in a Changing World
Advocates, providers, recipients, and policymakers are adjusting to the rapid pace of change in the mental health care system including behavioral health organizations, Health Homes, Medicaid reform, and many others. These changes, while challenging, present opportunities to improve efficiency,...
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The Role of Intimacy on the Road to Recovery
The crucial role of romantic relationships is often overlooked or avoided when working with people who are on the road to recovery. Understanding that factors such as hope, connection and social support significantly minimize isolation and prevent relapse, the Institute for Community Living (ICL)...
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The Correlation Between Housing and Recovery – How Independent Living Can Pave the Road to Recovery
If a person with a mental illness is striving to better him or herself, is aiming to reduce symptoms and lessen the impact of his or her illness, where do you think such recovery would best take place? Do you think safe and secure housing has an effect on the path a person takes in life? Adequate...
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The NYSPA Report: Families of Suicided Soldiers to Get Letter of Condolence from President
During July of this year, President Obama announced that he would begin sending letters of condolence to the families of troops who kill themselves in combat zones. He noted that this was a decision that was made after a difficult and exhaustive review of the former policy and he added, “I did...
