Alternatives For Children

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - NEW ALTERNATIVES FOR CHILDREN (NAC) IS AN INNOVATIVE CHILD WELFARE AGENCY SERVING BIRTH, FOSTER, AND ADOPTIVE FAMILIES CARING FOR CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX MEDICAL, MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS. THE MEDICALLY-COMPLEX CHILDREN NAC SERVE ARE PREDOMINANTLY PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO EXPERIENCE POVERTY CONDITIONS THAT INCREASE THEIR RISK OF CONTRACTING COVID-19 AND SEVERE COMPLICATIONS FROM THE VIRUS. OUR FAMILIES HAVE LONG HISTORIES OF TRAUMA, AND COMPLEX, DEEPLY IMBEDDED SOCIOECONOMIC PROBLEMS, SUCH AS HOMELESSNESS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, INCARCERATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS, ALL OF WHICH PUT THEIR CHILDREN MORE AT RISK. THE NEED FOR TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT TO PROVIDE TELE-MENTAL HEALTH AND TELEHEALTH SERVICES, AS A CRITICAL PART OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE CONTINUUM OF SERVICES, IS MORE EVIDENT THAN EVER. ALTHOUGH NAC OFFICES HAVE REMAINED OPEN FOR ESSENTIAL STAFF THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, INCLUDING A TEAM DELIVERING FOOD AND NECESSITIES TO NAC FAMILIES, AS WELL AS NAC’S COMPREHENSIVE HEALTHCARE CENTER (CHC), TELEHEALTH HAS BEEN VITALLY IMPORTANT. AT THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC, NAC IMMEDIATELY PURCHASED OVER 50 LAPTOPS AND CONNECTIVITY SERVICES SUCH AS REMOTE ACCESS AND HIPAA COMPLIANT ZOOM LICENSES FOR STAFF TO ADDRESS THE NEED FOR TELEHEALTH IN OUR CHC’S MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC. NAC ALSO PURCHASED AND DISTRIBUTED 250 CHROMEBOOK-LIKE DEVICES FOR FAMILIES IN NEED OF ACCESS TO REMOTE SERVICES INCLUDING MENTAL AND MEDICAL HEALTH SERVICES, ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES, SCHOOLING AND TUTORING SUPPORT. HOWEVER, REQUESTS FOR DEVICES CONTINUE AND WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN NEED AS THE PANDEMIC CONTINUES. NAC HAS REQUESTED $500K TO PROVIDE CHROMEBOOK COMPUTERS, HEADPHONES AND ACCESSIBILITY PERIPHERALS TOWARD TELE-MENTAL/ TELEHEALTH FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES RECEIVING SERVICES THROUGH NAC’S LICENSED COMPREHENSIVE HEALTHCARE CENTER (CHC) AND CHILDREN & FAMILY TREATMENT & SUPPORT SERVICES (CFTSS), WHICH PROVIDE MEDICAL/ MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. THE REQUEST INCLUDES FUNDI NG FOR STAFF LAPTOPS TO PRACTICE TELEHEALTH REMOTELY, AND A SERVER TO MEET NAC’S TECHNOLOGICAL NEEDS. FEDERAL FUNDS ARE REQUESTED BECAUSE: THOUSANDS OF NYC CHILDREN AND FAMILIES’ HEALTH AND WELL-BEING WILL BE JEOPARDIZED IF THEY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO SERVICES; NAC SAVES TAXPAYERS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS/YEAR BY REDUCING THE NEED FOR MORE EXPENSIVE SERVICES FOR OVER 3,400 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. WITHOUT THE MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND PROGRAMS FOR CHRONICALLY-ILL CHILDREN AND CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, HUNDREDS OF VULNERABLE NEW YORK FAMILIES AND CHILDREN RISK SEVERELY COMPROMISED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, POOR FAMILY STABILITY, CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS, AND FOR SOME MEDICALLY-COMPLEX CHILDREN, MORE INTENSIVE SERVICES, LONG-TERM HOSPITALIZATION OR INSTITUTIONALIZATION – ALL AT A SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER COST TO THE TAXPAYER. BY PARTNERING WITH BIRTH AND ADOPTIVE FAMILIES AND PROVIDING MEANINGFUL SUPPORT, TELE-MENTAL HEALTH AND TELEHEALTH SERVICES THROUGH NAC’S COMPREHENSIVE HEALTHCARE CENTER AND CFTSS, NAC HELPS TO AVERT CRISES AND OBSTACLES THAT CAN DISRUPT OR DISSOLVE THE FAMILY, ENABLING MEDICALLY-COMPLEX CHILDREN TO REMAIN IN LOVING, SAFE, AND STABLE FAMILY HOMES, WHILE ANNUALLY SAVING TAXPAYERS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. NAC RECOGNIZES THAT THE EASE OF USING TELEHEALTH IS A SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT FOR MANY OF OUR CLIENTS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE IT AS A TREATMENT MODALITY, WHEN APPROPRIATE, AND THE PREFERENCE OF THE CLIENT, EVEN AFTER THE PANDEMIC HAS ENDED AND AVAILABILITY OF ALL CHC AND CFTSS IN-PERSON SERVICES FULLY RESUME. NAC IS A CITY-WIDE AGENCY IN NEW YORK CITY AND ATTENDING IN-PERSON VISITS CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR MANY CLIENTS, SUCH AS THOSE WITH LARGE FAMILIES AND/OR YOUNG CHILDREN. NAC RECENTLY RECEIVED A LICENSE FROM THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH TO CONTINUE WITH TELEHEALTH AS A PERMANENT MODALITY FOR OUR CLIENTS ON AN ONGOING BASIS, AS SOME CLIENTS FIND IT MORE CONVENIENT AND MORE FEASIBLE TO