Arnaldo Jara's op-ed opposing cuts to the Health Homes Program

Arnaldo Jara, Alliance's Director of outposting care management, penned an op-ed in Lohud calling on New York State to reject a misleading proposal to “Recalibrate the Health Home Program.” This proposal would strip services for thousands of Medicaid participants with chronic health conditions, throwing them out of the Health Home program after 9 months and jeopardizing their wellbeing. Arnaldo writes, in part:

"We hope the governor will stand by her commitment to fortify New York’s health care system and improve the continuum of care by investing in the Health Home model, not destroying it."

NYC Health Commissioner pens op-ed opposing the 340B Pharmacy benefit carveout

Alliance has long opposed the “Cuomo carveout” which would devastate community health centers like ours, and deprive our participants of essential services. As further proof that the carve out is totally misguided and out of step with the needs of New Yorkers, New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan published an op-ed today in support of stopping the carve-out, writing, in part:

“Safety net providers, hospitals and other 340B entities throughout the state have used this program to offer critical medical care and help connect underserved, low-income patients to an array of supportive services that allow them to live longer, healthier lives…Each crisis underscores the importance of our safety net. The carve-out will rip a hole in this net, and many will fall through the cracks, exacerbating inequities and hindering progress in preventing disease. State legislators should repeal this policy and allow 340B entities to continue receiving savings”

Alliance Advocates to Save Health Homes in Albany

Over 20 Alliance staff and program participants woke up well before dawn and drove to Albany again on Monday, February 27, to lobby against proposed cuts that would remove 70,000 participants from New York State Health Homes. PHOTOS HERE and HERE. Joined by providers like Harlem United, Argus Health, Housing Works, and many others, we spoke with over a dozen state legislators and their staffs about the importance of the intensive care management model that Health Homes provides.

A ‘Health Home’ is not a physical place; it is a group of health care and service providers working together for Medicaid beneficiaries to get health services. Providers operate under a “whole person” philosophy, integrating primary, acute, behavioral, and long-term services. 180,000 New Yorkers, including 35,000 children rely on the care management coordinator of Health Homes. This is especially important for immigrant and non-English speaking communities, which have more difficulty finding primary and specialty medical providers and case managers who can communicate with each other in the same language.

Health Homes must be preserved. Please support us by signing this letter.

Alliance Hosts Full Slate of Programming for Black History Month

As we bid farewell to February, Alliance is proud to have hosted a full slate of programs for and by the Black community. We started on February 1 with a movie group screening of the recent film ‘Passing’ and a discussion of the psychological effects of passing, hiding one’s Blackness.

We continued our event series on February 7 with a pre-recorded panel discussion of the legacy of HIV/AIDS survivors and the virus since the early 1980’s.

We held Black History Jeopardy twice, on February 9 and 23, with fun and festivities.

We also held a discussion on the history of substance use in the Black community (February 13), a Valentine’s Day event, and a second film screening—this one the 2022 release ‘Emancipation.’

Thank you to the event facilitators and everyone who attended.

Role Model Stories: Erica

I am a 48-year-old lesbian living with HIV. Even so, I decided to have sexual relationships with men because I was afraid of the backlash. At 14, I started a relationship that gave me two children.

The relationship lasted till I was 21. Not long after the breakup I started a new relationship. It was then that I decided to get tested for HIV and STIs. It turned out I was positive. I immediately told my boyfriend, and he told me not to tell anyone. He refused to take a test and we continued to have sex with condoms. He ended the relationship a few months later.

Two years went by, and he contacted me and told me he went for a test and it came back negative. Thinking back to when I got my diagnosis, I was so depressed that I had tried to take my own life. After that, I decided to take charge of my life. I went to the doctor and was prescribed medication.

In 1999 I moved to California and found an organization that helped people that lived with HIV. I worked there until 2002. Due to economic reasons, I had to move back to Georgia. Unfortunately, there were still no organizations that helped people that lived with HIV. In 2006 I moved to Florida where I found an organization called Thap. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay because I tested positive for marijuana.

Due to spiritual circumstances, I had to move back to Georgia. I stayed in Georgia until 2018. I then received a call from a friend that needed my assistance in New York City. This move was what I needed to make a fresh start. I found another agency that assisted people living with HIV called Brightpoint. While at Brightpoint, I met an outreach worker Diane Tinglin from Alliance of Positive Change who was promoting The Positive Life Workshop (TPLW).

I went for a visit and became part of the Alliance family. I knew Alliance was the place for me. It was there that I became a whole person. A person that was not ashamed of the backlash of my sexuality, my status, and most definitely made me take charge of my life.

After TPLW, I became a Certified Recovery Coach, graduated from PREP and soon after that I became a Peer and completed my courses to become a Certified Peer Worker with the AIDS Institute.

Role Model Stories: Helen

I am a 67-year-old female living with HIV. I didn’t have an easy childhood. I was molested by my stepfather and to ease the pain I started to drink.

A year after that I tried heroin, which wasn't hard to do because my friends also did it. I continued to use because I used to get my drugs for free but that ultimately had a price. I was beaten repeatedly but didn’t care because the drugs always felt good.

At the age of 14— the first time I had sex— I had gotten pregnant, but I was too young to care for another as I was still a child myself. So, I decided to get an abortion. Unfortunately, I was never able to carry again. I continued to use heroin, but as I got older I needed to buy it for myself and couldn’t afford it. That’s when I went to a methadone clinic. That lasted 4 years but I needed my high, so I decided to go to pills. At this point, I didn't care if I lived or died because all I wanted was to get high, so I had no choice.

I started sleeping with men for money and that made me happy though it also turned my life upside down. I was diagnosed with HIV. Even though it was a setback, it also saved my life because I realized that I did want to live. I got myself into a program where I could take back my life.

A friend then introduced me to ASC n/k/a Alliance of Positive Change back in 2008 where I became a Peer intern. That was the greatest thing that could happen to me. I have been so grateful for all my mentors, especially Ramona Cummings. I am also grateful that I can share my story of positive change and inspire others to do the same.

Role Model Stories: Yolanda M.

My name is Yolanda M. and I am 53 years old. I wanted to share my journey of positive change with you. I was raised in what you call a traditional family. I was the only child and had loving parents.

One thing about me is I was a bully. I was always getting in trouble at school and had friends that would allow me to control them. At the age of 14, my mother’s boyfriend attempted to sexually abuse me. I made my mother aware of the situation, and on the second attempt, we beat him up and were arrested.

When I was 18, I decided to leave home to go work at Amserv Home Service as a home health aide where I lived in a rooming house. Not long after that, I met someone and got married. He happened to be a drug dealer even though I never messed with drugs. One day while I was cleaning, I discovered a package and was curious— that is when my addiction started.

My addiction lasted for 14 years. During the time I was using, I was arrested several times which landed me in drug treatment programs and a methadone clinic. After, I knew I wanted and needed a change and that is when I found Alliance in 2014.

Alliance continues to help me with my recovery and getting my life back in order. In 2018 I became a Peer and couldn’t be happier.

Watch "Who's Got Narcan?" and Register for Narcan Trainings

Alliance is proud to share “Who’s Got Narcan?” a short film made in collaboration with production designer and acclaimed stop-motion filmmaker Rachel Razor and photographer/videographer Jordan Hollender. Watch this short film and register for an upcoming Narcan training so you can say “We’ve Got Narcan!”

Carrying Narcan is being a good samaritan, and it’s easy. Virtual trainings are held every Friday at 11:00am: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81555099824?pwd=dGVVZE5FN0gyc1R5TkRVQyttRk0vUT09

Meeting ID: 815 5509 9824. Passcode: 123456

Alliance and Save NY's Safety Net Rally for Community Health in Albany

This Tuesday, Valentine’s Day 2023, over a dozen Alliance staff, Peers, and program participants joined 100 allies from fellow community health providers to protest the state’s plan to carve out Medicaid benefits for 8 million New Yorkers.

“Without intervention by April 1, safety net providers will lose critical resources to care for our communities. The pharmacy benefit program funds services for over 1,000 people at Alliance, alone. Cutting this funding would be a massive moral failure of government.”

— Brenda Starks-Ross, COO, Alliance

Samuel Rodriguez's op-ed on the Medicaid carve out for Gotham Gazette

Our Treatment Adherence Manager Samuel Rodriguez wrote a powerful op-ed for the Gotham Gazette on New York State’s dangerous plan to dismantle the social safety. The pending Medicaid pharmacy benefit “carve-out,” would devastate safety net providers like Alliance and disrupt care for the people we serve. The result? Reduced treatment adherence, increased hospitalizations, and higher healthcare costs, as Samuel points out. Read his article today and email communications@alliance.nyc to get involved today.