The Cross Sector Advocacy Group is a strategic working group of housing, mental health, substance use and criminal justice advocacy organizations.
Every quarter, we bring together partners with active budgetary and legislative campaigns at the local and state levels to coordinate and discuss priorities. Cross-sector priorities are refined for holistic presentation to elected officials, journalists, and other key stakeholders.
P2PH worked with members to identify key priorities across members for 2023 and beyond:
Top Cross-Sector Priorities:
Together, the group identified three key cross-sector sectors to prioritize in 2023
- Pass Treatment Not Jail legislation to improve access to care and allow medical staff to shape treatment goals
- Increase human services COLA to 8.5% to address workforce challenges and rising costs (COLA: Cost of Living Adjustment)
- Resist Bail Reform rollbacks that would increase incarceration and delay the closing of Rikers Island jails
Mental Health:
- Pass Daniel’s Law legislation and establish a truly non-police response to mental health crisis statewide
- Beat back NYC Mayor’s new policy allowing police to transport individuals to psychiatric hospitals who may not even be a danger to themselves or others
- Support the statewide expansion of clubhouse and other peer-support programs for people with mental health challenges
Criminal Justice/Criminal Legal System:
- Pass Clean Slate legislation to seal old conviction records for civil purposes
- Hold Mayor Adams to the Close Rikers timeline and resist Department of Correction funding increases
- Ensure strong implementation of the HALT solitary confinement ban and oppose efforts to weaken it (HALT: Human Alternatives to Long-Term solitary)
Housing:
- Pass Fair Chance for Housing (Int. 632-2022), prohibiting the use of criminal background checks in housing applications (with some exceptions)
- Ensure adequate funding to bring 380 promised JISH beds online and establish 500 more to meet the full need (JISH: Justice Involved Supportive Housing)
- Amend local chronicity requirements for clients entering incarceration as homeless so that time in jail/prison counts toward homelessness calculations
Substance Use:
- Expand Overdose Prevention Centers statewide
- Advocate for proper implementation of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in jails and prisons
- Monitor funding allocated from Opioid Settlement Funds Advisory Board
SUMMER 2023 WORKING GROUP
During the Summer session, the working group decided on our priorities for the remainder of the year. We identified the most pressing campaigns across our four pillars and aligned on three strategic priorities that are relevant across sectors.
CONTACT US FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON PAST SESSIONS
MEMBERS
Association of Substance Abuse Providers (ASAP)
CASES
Center for Community Alternatives (CCA)
Coalition for Behavioral Health (CBH)
Community Access
Drug Policy Alliance (DPA)
Exodus Transitional Community
Fair Chance Housing
Fortune Society
Friends of Recovery NY (FOR-NY)
From Punishment to Public Health (P2PH) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice
Legal Action Center
Legal Aid Society
Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS)
A More Just NYC
National Association of Mental Illness of NYC (NAMI-NYC)
New Hope Rising New York
New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS)
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI)
New York State Alliance of Recovery Residences (NYSARR)
NYC Justice Peer Initiative
Supportive Housing Network of New York (SHNNY)
Urban Justice Center
VOCAL-NY
Youth Represent
