Financial Help for Families with Autistic Children

On Assemblyman Rivera’s request, the Insurance Committee held a hearing to listen to proposals that would help decrease financial hardships and the lack of insurance coverage faced by families of autistic children. This meeting was the first step in the process of reviewing health insurer policies and obstacles delaying or preventing the coverage of early intervention services for children with autism. Health experts have emphasized that these services could help substantially reduce the cost of providing the lifelong services that will be required for that age group. This year, and partially due to Assemblyman Rivera’s involvement, New York enacted a law to force insurance companies to cover the treatment of autism.

Geriatric Mental Health Act

In, Assemblyman Rivera created legislation, now law, that 2005 established an Interagency Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependence Planning Council as well as a geriatric service demonstration program. $2 million were appropriated in the 2006-07 budget for the program. As of 2007, the US Census estimates that there are over 800,000 New Yorkers over the age of 80. According to Rivera, many suffer from depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and other mental health problems, but currently New York has limited capacity to help these senior citizens. Rivera advocated for funding for these programs, and a total of nine five-year demonstration grants were announced and have been gathering data on ways to improve the mental health of New York’ aging population. 

Women’s Mental Health Issues – Education and Awareness

Thanks to Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera the 2006-07 budget awarded $900,000 to conduct suicide prevention, public awareness, and education campaigns targeted towards helping high risk groups such as adolescent Latinas and elderly Asian women. “New York’s mental hygiene system is faced with a growing demand from underserved and emerging minority groups. Our efforts in delivering support and services to all the vulnerable constituents under our jurisdiction would not be complete if we did not ensure that providers delivering mental health service were trained to be culturally and linguistically competent.” declared Rivera. In continuation of a $2 million Assembly funding from the 2007-08 Budget, the New York State Office of Mental Health assumed the responsibility for funding the Centers for Excellence in Culturally and Linguistically Competent Mental Health programs at Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research and Psychiatric Institute in New York City.

Direct Care Workforce Training Initiatives

Assemblyman Rivera initiated a program with the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook’s School of Social Work to provide additional direct care training via a certificate program. The program holds multi-day training for outstanding mental hygiene workers to help increase the quality of care they provide, while also providing recognition to workers selected for the program. Under Rivera’s leadership, the Committee continued this partnership with Stony Brook’s Outstanding Caregiver Certificate Program and expanded the work to issues impacting elder care in New York.

Rivera provided additional workforce training resources to the JFK Jr. Institute for worker Education at the City University of New York (CUNY). The Institute now offers undergraduate and graduate certification in disability studies, and funding supports the Kennedy Fellows Career Mentoring Program, which provides tuition assistance and career development to direct care workers pursuing an undergraduate degree.

To complement these workforce development programs, Rivera’s office published a resource guide in 2007 and 2010 called Graduate & Undergraduate Education Programs, Internships & Volunteer Opportunities in the Field of Mental Hygiene. This guide is designed to create interest and direction for persons wishing to work in the the mental hygiene field and is a resource for those interested in improving their skills.

Mental Health Awareness and Education in Schools

Most recently, Assemblyman Rivera created and distributed a publication titled Stopping Mental Health Stigma – A Guide for Teachers and Students. This guide was distributed to all 700 school districts in New York State. Its purpose is to help youth and school communities better understand mental illness and dispell stigmas associated with mental health. “By helping to discuss mental health problems in school and under the guide of school professionals, it is my hope we can provide some relief and comfort through the use of this study guide for teachers and students.” Rivera added. “I am proud of what has been accomplished, and this is only a sample of a few issues that I have been able to work on your behalf. I look forward to new challenges and my work for the people of New York, under my new duties as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Assembly.”

Social-Emotional Learning

Following the adoption of Assemblyman Rivera’s Children’s Mental Health Act of 2006, the Commissioners of Education and Mental Health developed guidelines for incorporating Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into primary and secondary school education programs. SEL instruction in classrooms has proven to dramatically increase student academic performance and behavior in classrooms. Because of the positive outcomes of SEL, there have been substantial discussions on a proposal requiring that colleges train our teachers to require SEL training as a prerequisite to granting a degree.

Autism Awareness

In 2000, there were 6,752 children with autism between the ages of 3-21 who received special education services in New York. In just seven years, the number grew to 15,471 children. The Mental Health Committee, in conjunction with the Subcommittee on Autism, introduced bills to address research, autism awareness, and housing assistance for these children and their families. The Committee held a roundtable discussion around the state to ascertain the public’s position on how to address this growing problem impacting 1 in 150 children.

P.J.’s Law

Tens of thousands of disabled children ride on over 50,000 school buses in New York State daily. Rivera states, “With rising incidents of abuse being reported across the state and the current dramatic rise in children suffering with autism, this new law, which is called P.J.’s Law, is an overdue remedy. The legislation I have drafted, provides the proper training for school bus staff when working and transporting disabled children.” Rivera’s legislation requires twice-per-year training for school bus staff.