Issue Position: Protecting Our Most Valuable

Issue Position

Over my time in the State Senate, I've had the opportunity to work with so many individuals from the disability community. They have told me and shown me the struggles they face every day. As the former chair of the Senate Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, I worked with individuals, families, and advocacy groups from across our state to deliver historical funding and strengthen our workforce. This helped ensure that they are able to live their lives fully and independently.

I also have had the experience to give back to a community that I hold close to my heart. As a former Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, the mental health and wellbeing of our veterans remain a priority. 22 a day; that is how many veterans succumb to suicide due to the invisible effects of post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injuries. These unseen scars linger with those who have already given so much to our nation, and we must support them when they return home as we do while they are serving our country abroad.

While serving in the state senate, one of my proudest achievements was introducing and expanding the Joseph P. Dwyer Program across Western New York. This program provides peer-to-peer support for veterans facing the challenges of post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, and reintegration into civilian life.

Lastly, the heroin and opioid epidemic that our nation has recently faced, and still faces to this day devastated families across our country and significantly impacted families here in New York State. In 2010, 5.4.1/100,000 individuals passed due to heroin and opioid overdoses, a number that rose sharply in 2017, with 16.1/100,000 individuals dying from an overdose. Because of this rapid increase in overdose deaths, our state took the initiative and conducted statewide hearings to tackle this significant issue. I was proud to serve on the Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, where we worked with residents who turned tragic personal losses into selfless service to help others.

While the numbers of death related to these overdoses have decreased slightly, there is still much work to be done to remove this epidemic from our communities. That is why we must continue to empower and fund local recovery programs that work firsthand with those affected by this fatal addiction.

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