Dear Friends of Tourette Syndrome Association in New York City:

We have recently learned from the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DHMH) and the NYS Office of People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) that funding for National TSA’s New York City Counseling Program (NYCCP), will be cut off in six weeks. This will force the program to close.

The NYCCP has served people from all five boroughs for 28 years. It is the nation’s only full-time freestanding community-based counseling program designed for individuals and families affected by Tourette Syndrome Without any other program of its kind, people with TS will no longer have the type of counseling and services that are needed specifically for them – and that they will not get from other general clinic or treatment facilities.

We ask you to help us try to restore funding to the NYCCP! Using the SAMPLE LETTER below Email, call or write to 1. Your NYS Senator, 2. Your NYS Assemblymember 3. Governor Andrew Cuomo 4. Your City Councilmember. Here’s how:

http://www.nysenate.gov/ Go to Find My Senator

http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?sh=search Enter info in “Find My Assemblymember”

http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml Enter address/zip to find your Councilmember

http://www.governor.ny.gov/contact/GovernorContactForm.php Fill-in form, paste-in letter to contact Gov. Cuomo

Your State Senator's, State Assemblymember’s and/or City Councilmember’s page and full contact information will come up on each specific page.

Using the attached letter below, you can copy and paste it into a new e-mail, where you will be able to enter in your representative’s name and address. Or you can write your own hard copies using the draft letter if you prefer.

Please be sure to enter in any personal experience you may want to share. Personal stories have the best impact.
If you prefer to call your representatives, you can also use the letter and attached fact sheet as speaking points.
You can also use this opportunity to send your letters to anyone else within City or State government who may also be of influence on this decision.

Please forward copies of any correspondence or phone contact to Emily Kelman-Bravo, LCSW. the Director of the New York City Counseling Program. She can be reached at e.kelman-bravo@tsa-usa.org and 718-224-2999, ext. 227. Please feel free to contact her if you have any questions about the counseling program or about the budget cuts that are going into effect.

We thank you and greatly appreciate your help!

Sincerely yours:

Emily Kelman-Bravo LCSW
Director
New York City TS Counseling Program
e.kelman-bravo@tsa-usa.org 718-224-2999 Ext. 227

SAMPLE LETTER
November 14, 2011

Dear NYS Senator (man/woman) NAME: OR:
Dear NYS Assemblymember (man/woman) NAME: OR:
Dear Governor Cuomo: OR
Dear City Councilmember (man/woman) NAME:


I am writing to you about the imminent closing of the long-standing Tourette Syndrome New York City Counseling Program (NYCCP) as an apparent result of sudden New York City/New York State budget cuts within the NYS Office of People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DHMH).

This week, Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA) learned that all funding for this program will be cut off in six weeks! Six weeks! This will force the program to close!

The program was funded by the NYS OPWDD with oversight through the NYC Deparment of Health and Mental Hygiene. The NYCCP has served children, individuals and families affected by Tourette Syndrome (TS) for 28 years. It is the nation’s only full-time freestanding community-based counseling program for people affected by Tourette Syndrome.

Simply put, the program provides true “family support.” It keeps families together. It helps kids to manage difficult symptoms of TS, and associated or related conditions such as depression, oppositional defiant disorder, ADHD, OCD, and learning issues. It prevents placement in residential schools,hospitals and institutions. Again, the NYCCP keeps families together!

Often, children and adults with TS face insurmountable daily challenges living with uncontrollable involuntary movements and sounds, which can result in loss of employment, need for costly residential school placement, hospitalization, institutionalization, depression, divorce and loneliness. Some families are treated for years, and without these services, they would be lost.

The unique needs, complex symptoms and complicated treatment of the Tourette Syndrome patient population prevents them from getting appropriate and effective services from other mental health treatment facilities.

[PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PUT YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE/CONNECTION HERE]

The program makes a better life possible and fosters independence for people with TS by:
· Providing individual and family counseling, advocacy, support groups, couples counseling and educational presentations to schools and hospitals
· Collaborating with other community service providers to teach them about crucial issues and challenges unique to those living with TS
· Offering tools to help improve social skills, to boost self-esteem, and communicate with peers and teachers

We urge you to restore funding to the Tourette Syndrome New York City Counseling Program Now!

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely yours;


YOUR NAME HERE
Street Address
City, Zip, Email, Phone