In This Newsletter:

• The Myth of Violence and Mental Illness
• Join us for the NPW Disabilities Roundtable on June 10th
• Equitable Contracting Survey
• Right to Counsel: Rachel Halperin, Esq.,CEO, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley
• Charting an Anti-Racist Path Forward: Listen to Anahaita Kotval, President of NPW and CEO of Lifting Up Westchester speak at NPW’s April 7th Forum
• NPW Upcoming Events
• Job Fair

In today’s media reports about mental illness, there is a tendency to emphasize a supposed link between violence and mental illness. News stories regularly suggest that there is a strong connection between mental illness and crime. But the majority of people who are violent do not suffer from mental illnesses. In fact, people with a mental illness are more likely to be the victims, rather than the perpetrators of violence. Read More HERE.

The relationship between psychiatric illness and criminality has been the topic of intense debate and scrutiny in the recent past in light of multiple mass shootings in the United States. The popular belief is that people with mental illness are more prone to commit acts of violence and aggression. A large body of data suggests otherwise. Read More HERE. 

The NPW Disabilities Roundtable was established over a year ago in response to member’s heightened concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities. The roundtable consists of NPW member organizations of all sizes, and those that serve a wide spectrum of people with disabilities. This unique coalition has come together to advance solutions and advocate for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in community life.

Register Here for the June 10th meeting to learn about and discuss solutions to transportation as a barrier to the full inclusion of people with disabilities in Westchester’s communities.

On June 10th, we will be joined by:

Kelly Sheehan, Assistant Commissioner and Naomi Klein, Director of Transportation, Westchester County Department of Planning

Please find information about Westchester County’s Mobility and Transit Plan HERE.

We will also be joined by Renae Reynolds, Executive Director, Jaqi Cohen, Director of Climate and Equity, Tri-State Transportation Campaign (TSTC). Read more about TSTC HERE. 

Westchester County Proposes Legislation to Provide Legal Counsel to Low Income Tenants

The Board of Legislators is considering legislation drafted by the County Executive that would provide an attorney to low income tenants in Westchester County who are facing eviction. The legislation would create the Office of Housing Counsel, which would be responsible for implementing and overseeing a right to counsel program in Westchester County. The legislation sets income eligibility as a person whose household income is not in excess of 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The Office of Housing Counsel would implement the program first in the County’s city courts and subsequently in town and village courts.

Tenants are twice as likely to win their case when they are represented by legal counsel. Almost every landlord who brings an eviction proceeding in Housing Court is represented by an attorney. In contrast, well over ninety percent of tenants appear in housing court without counsel. The consequences are dire – families are evicted, they enter into unfavorable settlement agreements, or give up, move out, and become homeless. By passing this legislation, the County will be realizing the dream of equal access to justice for all - regardless of income - for Westchester County residents! Read the Legislation HERE. 

Prepared by Rachel Halperin, Esq., CEO, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley. 

NPW is committed to charting an anti-racist path forward in Westchester’s nonprofit sector, to providing the resources to support our members and all nonprofits to establish anti-racist systems in their organizations, and to serve as an example and resource to other sectors dedicated to building anti-racist systems. See the full video of our April 7th Forum attended by more than 200 people, read the report, and listen to a clip of Anahaita Kotval's speech below.   

• June 8: Board Governance – Advancing Equity and Inclusion
• June 15: Affordable Housing in Westchester: A Call to Action for the Nonprofit Sector
• June 23: NPW Summer Celebration & Networking Party

Special Thanks to our Summer Celebration Sponsors:
Buzz Creators, Mutual of America, and Paylocity.

STSI's and Mercy College's B.O.S.S. Financial Literacy Workshop for Middle and High School Students: June 4

NEW: $140 Million in Arts and Culture Grant Funding

Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children's Mental Health Innovation Awards - July 15 Application Deadline

NYSHealth 2022 Special Projects Fund: Request for Proposals – June 9th Deadline for Inquiry Form

Field Hall Foundation – June 3rd Deadline for Letters of Inquiry

We are stronger together. 

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