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Episode 2 of Peercast is now available: Support
This episode explores the history of peer support from 18th-century France to its role in New York State today, including what peer support is, how it connects to mental health, and conversations with professional peer advocates working in the field.
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Family Empowerment Day
Monday, March 30
Register Now!
Families, youth, and advocates from across the state will come together for a rally and march to make our voices heard in Albany. FED is a powerful opportunity to show lawmakers what family-centered policy looks like in action.
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What to Expect
- Get on the Bus! Transportation will be available from multiple regions across the state
- Rally and March to the Capitol with youth, families, and advocates
- Connect with other families and youth with lived experience.
- Engage, advocate, and ignite change in child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, developmental disabilities, and education
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State Legislative Advocacy 101
March 10 at 6pm
New to advocacy? Want to sharpen your skills before FED?
Join us for State Legislative Advocacy 101, where we’ll cover:
- How the New York State budget process works
- How to communicate effectively with legislators
- How to prepare for in-district meetings
- How to advocate as a family or youth leader
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February Policy and Advocacy Updates
February has brought both momentum and meaningful progress in our state advocacy efforts. As budget negotiations intensify, conversations around the Mental Hygiene Budget and Medicaid behavioral health reform are moving from proposal to action. Families, youth, and partners across New York are continuing to show up, in hearings, in meetings, and in coalition spaces, ensuring that lived experience remains at the center of policy decisions. This month’s updates include highlights from recent testimony, developments on the Medicaid managed care behavioral health carve-out, advocacy day reflections, and important opportunities to engage as we move closer to final budget decisions
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Mental Hygiene Budget Update
The New York State budget process is in full swing, and Families Together in NYS continues to advocate for investments that strengthen children’s behavioral health systems.
| Watch Khadijah Abdul Aziz testify at the recent State Budget Hearing on Mental Hygiene, where we outlined the urgent need for system reforms and sustainable funding.
Our message was clear: children and families need timely access to behavioral health services, accountability in managed care, and meaningful investments that prioritize equity and family voice.
Read our full testimony below | | |
Medicaid Managed Care Carve Out Update
We continue to advocate for a behavioral health carve-out from Medicaid managed care to ensure accountability, transparency, and access to care.
Sign up for our questionnaire to share your experience and help strengthen our advocacy.
| In the meantime, we encourage members to schedule in-district meetings with legislators to discuss why behavioral health reform must be included in the final budget. If you need support preparing for a meeting, contact us, we’re here to help. | |
Healthy Minds Healthy Kids Advocacy Day Recap! |
New York to overhaul Medicaid mental health care for children under landmark settlement
A landmark settlement approved last month is forcing New York state to overhaul its Medicaid mental health services for children.
The settlement stems from C.K. v. McDonald, a federal class action lawsuit filed in 2022 alleging the state Departments of Health and Mental Health failed to provide legally required, community-based care for children, forcing some into harmful situations or leaving them without help altogether.
Full Article Here
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Thank you to everyone who participated in Healthy Minds Healthy Kids Advocacy Day! Together, we amplified youth and family voices across the Capitol.
Recent coverage highlights the momentum behind reform:
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Youth Power Discord is live!
Discord is a free online platform where people can connect through organized chat spaces called “servers.”
Our Youth Power server is a space created by and for youth and young adults to build community, share resources, and stay connected with what’s happening in the Youth Power Department at Families Together in NYS.
Discord works on phones, computers, and tablets.
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Become a Member of the Youth Power Network!
Join the Families Together in NYS Youth Power Network and connect with a statewide community of young leaders, advocates, and changemakers. Open to anyone interested in staying connected to Youth Power, including youth, organizations, and adult allies.
As a member, you’ll gain access to trainings, leadership opportunities, events, and resources that help amplify youth voice and positive change.
Membership is free! Sign up today and be part of the movement for youth empowerment in New York State!
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Ready to Grow, Lead, and Make an Impact?
Join the Youth Power Mentorship Program
We’re still looking for passionate mentors and mentees who want to amplify youth voices, foster growth, and build meaningful connections across New York State. Whether you’re eager to share your experience, gain guidance, or grow your leadership skills, this is your chance to make a real impact.
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Tending the Roots: Recognizing Trauma and Cultivating Wellness training series:
Interested in learning about trauma-informed care and best practices to supporting those impacted by stress or trauma?
Join our certified trainers within Youth Power and Families Together in NYS as we host a virtual training series starting in March 2026. To best meet the needs of our network, we'll be offering 1 daytime series and 1 evening series. Official dates will be announced soon!
Not able to attend this month or want a more personalized experience? Complete the general interest form so that we can schedule a technical assistance call and bring this training to your programs and organizations.
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Amplifying Youth Voice Training Series 2026
Join Youth Power and the CNY Regional Interagency Technical Assistance Team (CNY RiTAT) during our virtual training series held across March 2026.
Please see the flyer for more information about how to register and topics relating to youth-guided practices. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to krivera@ftnys.org.
*Intended audience includes: peer advocates and peer specialists, service providers, organizational leaders, county officials, systems level offices, and general community members.
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Helping BIPOC Families Succeed: Legislative Caucus Panel
Assemblymember Burroughs and Senator Webb will convene advocates, legal experts, and community leaders for a timely discussion on how child support policy and broader systems impact Black and Brown families across New York State. The panel will examine disparities in debt accumulation, the effects of incarceration, and the ways current policies can either hinder or strengthen family stability and economic mobility. Grounded in equity-centered policy solutions, the conversation will highlight the Family Reform Act and other legislative approaches aimed at building healthier, more financially secure futures for children and families.
Learn more about the Caucus and full conference details here: https://nysabprlinc.org/
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Panel Members
- Joel L. Andre Watson Esq. (Legal Advisor, AM Burroughs)
- Charles F. Johnson II Esq.(Political Action Chair for the NAACP NYS Conference)
- Zakiyah Ansari (Co-Executive Director of the Alliance for Quality Education and Parent Advocate)
- TJ Curtis (Family Training Coordinator, Families Together New York)
- Blaise A. Gibson (Gibson Law Group)
- Janet L. Brown, Esq. (Family Court Practitioner)
- Moderators-AM Burroughs and Sen. Webb
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Black History Month: Rooted in Resilience, Voices That Transformed Behavioral Health
By Kim D. Kaiser, Director of Community Engagement for Inclusion and Equity
At Families Together in New York State, we believe healing works best when families are at the center. Long before “family voice” became a best practice, Black behavioral health advocates were fighting for exactly that. They challenged racism in psychology, education, and medicine. They pushed systems to see children and families in the fullness of their culture, identity, and lived experience. Their work laid important groundwork for how we advocate today.
The legacy of Black leaders in behavioral health reminds us that hope and equity grow where family and youth voice is planted. When parents and young people are truly heard, and when systems respond with respect and strength-based support, healing becomes possible.
Below is a short list of Black mental health advocates whose work changed how children and families are understood and supported. Their efforts exposed harm, reduced bias, and helped build systems that work better for everyone:
Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark transformed how the nation understood children’s self-esteem and racial identity. Her doll studies revealed the emotional harm of segregation and influenced national conversations about desegregation. She also co-founded the Northside Center for Child Development, bringing community-based mental health services directly into Harlem.
Dr. Joy DeGruy expanded our understanding of trauma by highlighting how historical harm across generations affects families. Her work helped communities name stress, build resilience, and move toward healing.
Dr. Maxie Clarence Maultsby Jr. focused on making emotional wellness practical and accessible. His approaches reduced barriers to care and gave families tools they could use in everyday life.
Dr. Carl Bell built community-based prevention strategies to address trauma, violence, and substance use among young people. He showed that care must meet families where they live.
Bebe Moore Campbell used storytelling to reduce stigma and open conversations about mental health. Her advocacy led to the establishment of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, helping normalize discussions about emotional wellness.
Edward Franklin Frazier examined how slavery, Jim Crow violence, migration, and social disruption shaped the health and stability of Black families, grounding conversations about mental health within historical and social context.
Thyra J. Edwards centered her work on child welfare, women, and at-risk communities. Her advocacy reflected a lifelong commitment to justice across diverse populations.
Black history is American history. It is rooted in resilience, shaped by struggle, and carried forward by hope. What began as survival grew into advocacy. What was once silence became voice. This work continues through families, youth, and peer advocates who show up every day. At Families Together in New York State, we are proud to be working toward an equitable and inclusive journey that fosters belonging, wellness, and empowerment for all.
Spotlight on a New York Trailblazer: Mrs. Willie Mae Goodman
This Black History Month, Families Together in New York State proudly honors Mrs. Willie Mae Goodman for her extraordinary seven decades of advocacy on behalf of people with developmental disabilities in New York State.
During the 55th Annual Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Conference, Commissioner Willow Baer presented Mrs. Goodman with a special citation on behalf of Governor Kathy Hochul. The recognition took place at the “One Harlem” Senior Roundtable Luncheon hosted by Cordell Cleare.
For seventy years, Mrs. Goodman has uplifted individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Her advocacy reflects what we believe at FTNYS: when families and communities are centered, systems become stronger, more equitable, and more responsive.
Earlier this year, Simcha Weinstein, Community Engagement Coordinator for Inclusion and Equity at Families Together in New York State, had the honor of visiting Mrs. Goodman in Harlem for a meaningful conversation about passing advocacy forward. Their discussion reflected the power of intergenerational leadership, shared wisdom, and community-rooted change.
Mrs. Goodman’s lifelong advocacy reminds us that progress happens when community voices are heard and sustained across generations. We celebrate her legacy, her leadership, and the path she continues to pave for families across New York State.
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Resources:
New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
OMH’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion provides resources on culturally responsive care, equity in mental health services, and support tools for historically underserved communities.
https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/cultural_competence/resources.html
NYS Capitol Black History Month Exhibit (2026)
The Empire State Plaza and NYS Capitol host an annual Black History Month exhibit honoring the legacy, leadership, and contributions of Black New Yorkers.
https://empirestateplaza.ny.gov/black-history-month-exhibition-2026
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Upcoming Real Talk Trainings: Highly Participatory Family Engagement: From Checkboxes to Connection
A training focused on strengthening provider–family partnerships, increasing meaningful involvement, and creating affirming spaces that support trust and collaboration.
Presenters: Kim Kaiser and Simcha Weinstein
March 11, 10:00–11:30 AM
Continuing education credit available for FPAs and YPAs.
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737 Madison Avenue
Albany, NY 12208
Office Phone: 518.432.0333
Information Email: info@ftnys.org
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