Mayor Adams Announces New Mental Health Plan

BY BRANDON ORTIZ

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced his new mental health plan at a press conference held last Thursday, March 2.

The plan, called the Care, Community, Action: A Mental Health Plan for New York City, is designed to address several issues related to mental health that currently impact the city.

Twenty million dollars ($20M) in additional funding will build off of $370 million already allotted to address and invest in mental health issues such as child and familial mental health, opioid addiction, opioid overdoses and individuals dealing with serious mental illness (SMI).

Below is a summary on how each pillar of the Mayor’s plan will work, according to the press release from the

• Mental Health for Children and Families: The Mayor’s plan will address this issue by working to improve mental health care access and provide mental health care services that are “timely, culturally responsive, accessible, and affordable.” Additionally, the city will commit $12 million to launching a citywide telehealth line that will connect city high school youth with mental health professionals. The city will also launch a suicide prevention program at NYC Health + Hospital facilities for youths who are treated in hospital emergency rooms for a suicide attempt. Funding will also be used to support “community-based and brown youth.” dealing with SMI focusing on “four pillars of care: health care, housing, community, and crisis response.” A key aspect will involve increasing the number of connections between New Yorkers dealing with SMI and community-based care programs over the next four years. The city will also improve the Intensive Mobile Treatment program and the Assertive Community Treatment program to support 800 more people over the course of next year. In terms of housing, the city plans to add 8,000 more supportive housing units while also investing “$7 million more to sigyears.” By working with state-run agencies, the city also plans to expedite the referral process for individuals dealcally those coming from jails, hospitals or shelters.

Community, Action: A Mental Health Plan for New York City in a statement included with the city press release. “The Covid-19 pandemic – with the stress, isolation, and anxiety it brought so many of us – pushed mental health to the forefront of the conversation. When it comes to health, we can no longer ignore the brain and focus just on the body any longer; we must address the whole person, and the whole system. By investing in family and child men-

DANGERS OF LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

FDNY FIRE SAFETY TIPS

INCLUDES:

• Opioid Addiction and Overdoses: this aspect of the Mayor’s mental health plan is to reduce overdose deaths by 15% by 2025. Logistically, this particular pillar will expand the City’s response efforts for non-fatal overdoses to three additional hospitals, as well as bolster “the 14 syringe service providers into a network of Harm Reduction Hubs with comprehensive services like a place to rest, addiction services, and medical and mental health services.” The city plans to provide at least four Public Health Vending Machines that dispense naloxone in the neighborhoods affected the most by overdose deaths. This part of the plan also aims to improve overdose prevention centers (OPC) across the city with the goal of them operating 24/7.

• Addressing Individuals Dealing With Serious Mental Illness: This objective aims to support New Yorkers

Safety Tips & Precautions

Fires & Emergencies

Codes & Enforcement

NYC Council Passes Legislation to Address Lithium-Ion Battery Fires

BY BRANDON ORTIZ

The New York City Council voted on and passed legelectric bikes and scooters.

ium-ion batteries that power electric bikes and scooters. The legislation will implement safety standards for manufacturing and selling lithium-ion batteries.

selling faulty lithium-ion batteries. Here is each piece of legislation that was passed and how it will impact the situation, according to a New York City Council press release:

Introduction 663-A (sponsored by Councilmember Oswald Feliz) – This legislation will prohibit the sale, lease or rental of any e-bikes, electric scooters or storage batteries that do not meet the “recognized safety scooters and storage batteries will have to meet the Underby an accredited testing laboratory.

Introduction 722-A (sponsored by Councilmember Robert Holden) – This bill will require the FDNY to provide an

Introduction 752-A (sponsored by Councilmember Gale Brewer) – This bill would prohibit manufacturing or reusing cells from used batteries and also ban the sale of any lithium-ion battery that uses a reconditioned cell.

Introduction 749-A (sponsored by Councilmember

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Verdi Patterson, aka “Baruti,” (an adopted African name), as he was known to his Co-op City friends and associates, lived in Building 13 for over 30 years. He was born in Chicago to his parents Verdi and Phyllis Patterson. He was the eldest of four children.

Verdi’s father, Verdi, Sr., was a Black Indian Cherokee Prize Fighter and he supported his family called “Buster” as a child, spent his childhood years traveling with his parents throughout the country, and later, his formidable years in Harlem working and helping his mother raise his younger siblings until he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.

Verdi, retired for many years, worked for NYCHA for 25 years as a Civil Engineer and then a Housing Manager. He had three children with his wife, Arlene, and they raised their two daughters and their son to be proud of their African and Native heritage, always teaching and sharing with them Verdi’s extensive knowledge of English and History as he earned degrees in English and History at Bronx Community College and Lehman College. He also shared his love of theater, jazz and classical music with his children, exposing them at very young ages to the extensive cultural life that New York City has to offer.

Verdi, like his father, was also an avid athlete. He played tennis for many years, winning many singles and doubles competitions in local parks in the Bronx, Harlem and Westchester. Verdi, also an avid reader, enjoyed studying philosophy and history with a focus on African history. He enjoyed his retirement and also participated in the Co-op City theater group and studied Spanish and theater at the Teamsters Union. He traveled to Egypt with historian and pro- he was an active member of the African American Association in Co-op City.

Verdi Patterson leaves to mourn his memory, his son, Scott, and his daughters, Andrea and Patrice; one grandson, three granddaughters, three great grand-daughters and one great grandson. He will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him.

Section Five Association

Section 5 Association Celebrates George Crouch:

Happy 99th Birthday, George Crouch!

Reminder: YouTube and

The Objective of the SFA shall be:

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” –Henry Ford ––H. Overman

The Retirees of Dreiser Loop extends a great big “thank you” to everyone who joined us March 2 to honor George Crouch at his 99th birthday celebration at Seashore Restaurant in City Island. Close to ninety guests attended. Happy 99th birthday, George! We look forward to celebrating with you again next year on your 100th birthday.

George was presented with a “Proclamation” by Carl E. Heastie, Speaker of the NYS Assembly, and a “Citation of Merit” from NYS Assembly Member Michael Benedetto.

Member of the Retirees of Dreiser Loop, Mr. Jay McKenzie, Pastor Sheldon E. Williams and members of the Co-op City Baptist Church, and former NYC Councilman Larry Seabrook were in attendance. A wonderful time was had by all.

Letters to the Editor

The Co-op City Times welcomes issue-oriented letters to the editor to be considered for publication. All letters, in prose, not poetry, must be addressed to the editor, verify the authenticity of the authors. Anonymous or unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Letters cannot exceed 350 words. Ideally, they should be typed. All letters must be in the Co-op City Times in that week’s edition. Views and opinions expressed in letters are solely the writer’s and not necessarily shared by the Co-op City Times

No-Smoking Policy

ing a “posted policy for smokers standing too close to our building entrances.” I am in agreement and hope that this policy can be put into place.

This past summer, I have called CCPD to express concerns over groups of individuals loitering (and smoking) at the front entrance to our building. The dispatcher informed me that smoking is not against the law. I tried explaining that it wasn’t just the smoking, but they were loitering, making me, and others, feel unsafe entering or exiting the building. I am grateful for the side entrances, but shouldn’t be forced to use them because I feel unsafe entering the front of the building.

If we had an enforceable “No Smoking” policy in place, maybe (and I know it is a strong maybe) less people will smoke/loiter around the building entrances.

Support for Resolution 23-01

could just pack up any vehicle, at any time to move in or out. This would mean insurance and licensing wouldn’t be required and no authority would be available. So accidents, double-parking, driving on the brickwork and other problems would have no authority to oversea any problems. It would also mean that the condition of vehicles used wouldn’t matter.

Co-op City has long since had to dispute allegations of being called Ghetto-City. If company vehicles were not required, it would further the deteriorated look of our grounds, so more like a “project.”

Having licensed, insured, underwritten moving vendors is what is best for us to live here. I do think some of our “Administrative Fees” may need a review but not with regard to moving vans and trucks. please rethink their position.