As stated by OMH Commissioner Hogan in his introduction to the special edition: "Suicide is a leading, tragic and preventable cause of death.... We hope this article informs and encourages you to take action. Please take a minute to read it, learn to recognize when someone needs help, and know what steps we can all take to prevent the human tragedy of suicide."

Please reach out and share this information with friends, family members and neighbors. For more information on preventing suicide, please visit the OMH Suicide Prevention webpage.

The New York State Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence at the New York State Psychiatric Institute is pleased to announce that Dr. Leopoldo J. Cabassa, our Assistant Director, has been awarded a Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) from the National Institutes of Mental Health. The project titled “Implementing Health Care Interventions for Hispanics with Serious Mental Illness (K01 MH09118)” is a five year grant that will prepare Dr. Cabassa to become an independent investigator in implementation research to address the disparities in physical health care faced by racial and ethnic minorities with serious mental illness. A mentoring team led by Drs. Roberto Lewis-Fernández and Benjamin Druss, will guide Dr. Cabassa’s training. The research plan for this project uses a collaborative intervention planning framework that blends principles of community based participatory research and intervention mapping to modify and assess the feasibility and acceptability of an existing care manager intervention for outpatient mental health clinics.

The New York State Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence looks forward to engaging in this collaborative project and contributing to improving the integration of health and mental health services in public mental health system for minorities with serious mental illness.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Cabassa’s project.

Click here to learn more about the New York State Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

November 2010

Making Health a Priority for OMH Consumers
by Cassis Henry, MD , Columbia Public Psychiatry Fellow; and Lloyd I Sederer, MD , OMH Medical Director

Recent years have made it plain that as many OMH consumers age, their health problems grow and can often compromise the quality of their lives. To meet the health needs of our patients OMH has begun monitoring consumer health measures and is using this information to inform and support the wellness efforts of recipients.

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NAMI-NYS Announces New Executive Director

NAMI-NYS is pleased to announce the appointment of Donald P. Capone as NAMI-NYS Executive Director. Don has a Masters of Public Administration from the State University of New York at Albany, and a long and impressive history of working as a highly respected government official in the State of New York.

Most recently, Don served as Deputy Commissioner for Administration for the Division of Criminal Justice Services for New York State. He has served as Chief Budget Examiner for the Division of Budget, Medical Review Analyst with the Bureau of Medicaid Fraud, and is intimately familiar with the challenges and complexities of government and the legislative process. Don brings a wealth of experience to NAMI-NYS in policy development, securing grants and other sources of funding, programmatic initiatives, and human resources. He has worked with volunteers and advocates over the years, and has a proven record of success in dealing with different points of view and competing interests. He has held executive positions with both the Democratic and Republican administrations.

Don has worked with federally funded programs designed to provide jobs for youth from economically disadvantaged families, with group homes and shelters, and was a VISTA volunteer. He is compassionate, intelligent, and kind. Don officially began his position with us on March 7, 2011.

November 19, 2010

On Friday, November 19, 2010, the New York State Department of Health launched a new web page that explains how consumers can obtain Medicaid through the Medicaid "Excess Income" or "Spend-down" program.   

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Recognizing that our environment and our relationships can have a profound effect on lives, we hope that our mental health system can begin to answer that question. The never-ending transformation of the mental health system should expan hope, raise expectations and nurture growth. The passion for helping others that brought us to mental health work provides energy for the changes that can answer Dr. Deegan's question.

Click here to view the entire plan.

October 13, 2010

Pursuant to a federal court's order in the case Disability Advocates, Inc. v. Paterson, et al., the New York State Office of Mental Health has released the New York City-based supported housing RFP at

http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/rfp/2010/supported_housing/adult_home_residents/ 

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Read the entire Proclamation from the Mayor by clicking here.