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Advocacy > Be An Advocate > Center for Policy and Advocacy

About the Center for Policy and Advocacy

History
Goals
Projects
Center Director
More Information

History

Since the Mental Health Association movement's founding in the first decade of the 20th century, MHAs have provided leadership in the development of mental health policy by focusing on the most pressing needs of people with mental health problems and by building cooperation among the constituencies which make up the mental health community. In keeping with this tradition, The Mental Health Association of New York City and The Mental Health Association of Westchester County have joined together to establish The Center for Policy and Advocacy to promote the development of, and to advocate for mental health policies which anticipate the mental health needs of the next decade or longer.

Goals

The Center seeks to improve mental health policy through:

The development of long-term mental health policy recommendations
Advocacy for improvements consistent with these recommendations
Serving as a center for mental health policy information (a “data bank”) for policymakers, advocates, journalists, and others who need information essential to making responsible mental health policy decisions
Providing consultation and training regarding policy, finance, management, and advocacy for organizations, advocates, and policy makers concerned about mental health
Fostering improved communication and cooperation among stakeholders in the mental health system throughout the Metropolitan New York City area
Enhancing public awareness of critical mental health policy and funding issues

Projects

Current projects include:

Preparing to meet the mental health needs of aging baby boomers
Improving mental health services for residents of adult homes
Understanding mental health finance in New York
Fostering “parity” of mental health and health benefits (in partnership with NAMI-NYC)
Training in mental health policy and advocacy

Center Director

Center Director Michael B. Friedman has over thirty-five years experience as a mental health clinician, advocate, administrator, and policy maker in New York City and the Hudson Valley. He has served as Director of Network Development, New York Hospital; Regional Director (Deputy Commissioner), NYS Office of Mental Health; Executive Director MHA of Westchester; and Director of Operations of The Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services. He has also served on numerous advocacy and advisory groups, including The Mental Health Action Network, The Children’s Justice Taskforce, the NAMIs (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) of New York City and of Westchester, The Coalition of Voluntary Mental Health Agencies and The Greater New York Hospital Association.

More Information

For further information on the Center, contact Center Director, Michael B. Friedman by phone at 212-614-5753 in New York City or 914-686-2886 in Westchester, or by email at center@mhaofnyc.org.

Correspondence can be sent to:

The Center for Policy and Advocacy
MHA of New York City
666 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
212-614-5753

An additional office is located at:

The Center for Policy and Advocacy
MHA of Westchester
2269 Saw Mill River Road
Elmsford, NY 10523
914-686-2886

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