About Our Council Leadership Elections

Mashrafi Nur Anwar | Astoria, New York

Election Race: Youth/Young Adult Leadership

Region: New York City
Campaign Slogan: Hear to be Here

My name is Mashrafi Anwar. I am a Bengali-American third year undergraduate student at New York University, majoring in Social Work and minoring in Child & Adolescent Mental Studies. I would be honored to serve as one of your Youth/Young Adult Leaders to help our community be able to impact the Youth positively and truly learn how we can Hear to be Here.

One of the first steps of validating the experiences of our youth is being able to understand their pain and as someone who newly turned 21 a couple months ago, I would say, while my pair may be a different color, I have been in the youth’s shoes. It is no easy task to maneuver through cultural taboos, intergenerational trauma and the various mental battles at such a young age, difficult to ask for help because we do not know exactly what healthy help is. I would appreciate your vote so I could do exactly that, using my ability to relate to help connect directly with youth and help translate their needs in ways easier for the council to understand how we can help. Another important step in truly listening is learning how to listen.

I am blessed to say my multiple experiences as a youth camp teacher/counselor, mental health events coordinator and overall college education have taught me how to listen with empathy, minimal projection and working to the strengths of the youth. With your vote, I would love to pass this knowledge on, potentially running workshops or training, to help us council members break any barriers that may stand in the way of directly supporting the youth in regards to healthy communication. The last and arguably the most important step, is taking action to make sure they feel heard. It is our duty as allies of the youth to come up with ideas, get comfy with being uncomfy and truly hold policy makers accountable that they have met our demands.

Through the vote of you all, I will make sure to keep checklists of our ideas, hold sessions to reflect on how we should push our ideas and motivate us all to see the fruits of our labor pay off. Overall, I hope to bring my ability to understand, my ability to teach and my ability to be firm in our actions to create a betterment in the areas of resource accessibility, policy change/funding, intergenerational connection and the creation of a safe space for our youth. Thank you for hearing me to show me you are here and hopefully we can do the same for children all across.

Tamara Rae Begel | South Setauket, New York

Election Race: Parent/Caregiver & Adult Leadership

Region: Long Island
Campaign Slogan: Connect, Coordinate, and Act!

I am honored to be considered for council leadership. At our first event, the Healthy Minds Healthy Kids Community Speak Out, I laid out my vision for the council. I urged every region to organize a Legislative Action Committee for their region, a team of youth, young adults, parents, and family peer advocates that can meet to discuss their biggest concerns about children’s mental health, prioritize the problems, and address them one by one.

Long Island already has one, through our regional advocacy organization Long Island Families Together. LIFT’s executive director sends out regular newsletters with the newest information to keep our membership engaged.  I have started to connect our region’s independent advocates over Facebook with content to provide everyone with quick calls to action and powerful experiences that can effect change. I hope to coordinate with other leaders to choose an inclusive and more widely used social media platform and/or to blast content on multiple platforms like TikTok, Reddit, etc. to extend our reach. (Connect)

I dream of a wide web of advocates all over the state working by region, topics of interest; united to share initiatives, materials, ideas, and resources.  This web would ensure that changes in policy happen not only in each hospital, school, and agency but are also mimicked quickly across the state. (Coordinate)

On Long Island, we brought Covid vaccines into our mental health hospitals, because our children were left out of the state’s vaccination plans. We have exposed restraint use that is against current laws and policy and is being investigated by outside agencies.  We exposed hospitals that were refusing to give parents medical records and reports guaranteed to them under the Justice Center and Office of Mental Health (OMH) policies.  We used Disability Rights NY (DRNY) to not only investigate but encourage OMH to hold hospitals accountable. This expanded parents’ rights to ensure that their childrens’ treatment was within the law and follow up on treatment that was outside the bounds. (Act)

We are also learning from other regions.  We would like to bring FPAs and YPAs to our CPEPs and other mental health hospitals.  We would like to increase our engagement with the media by issuing more press releases.  We are also increasing our diversity by engaging youth in more of our meetings and hope to bring BIPOC PEEEK to Long Island and forming a close partnership.  

I have a vision to connect us so that an advocate in rural upstate New York can connect with one on Long Island and together effect change at a hospital in Buffalo.  Let’s be the bridge to statewide change, support, and advocacy; unite our advocates, youth, young adults, and caregivers, and encourage them to stand together and advocate for funds, policy changes, and the rights of all.

Together we are a powerful voice that the agencies, hospitals, and government officials can’t ignore, because it is their entire constituency! A connected, coordinated voice can act and demand to be listened to! Break the silence! Break the stigma! Unite to ensure that every child and every family in New York has access to the full array of mental health services. Mental health care is health care. It should be available, covered, and treated with parity to general health care! Mental health care for all is a human right and achievable goal.

So let’s do this together. As a lifelong advocate and leader, I’ve been plugging holes in health care, safety, human rights, and disability rights for close to four decades. As a leader, I like to get to know each of the people in my group, find out their talents, passions, and what drives them to act. (I connect.) I then create a program and work that inspires them so the job is spearheaded by passion and skills of which they are proud to show off. I include some aspects which contain new skills they are open to learning, and together we attack what interests them most. (Coordinate) I check in with those I lead regularly so they feel supported, part of a group, and don’t become discouraged. If partners are needed, I bring others on board who are invested and work well together, and I fill in where needed. Together, we bring the work over the finish line, and share with others so they can copy what we did. (Act!)

This recipe has worked well for any group that I have led. I had been active in conference leadership organizing an annual week long conference for over 200 patients, care givers, and researchers in the field of my disability. I presented many sessions of both informative talks and support groups throughout the weekend long conference. In my lifetime, I have raised thousands of dollars for charity.

In the past year, I have engaged agencies like Justice Center and Disability Rights New York to change policies at the Office of Mental Health (OMH)  and hospitals. I’ve reached out to the media and government officials to ensure that the state of children’s mental health is at the forefront of the minds of voters and legislators.  I have engaged legislators on my own, on behalf of LIFT, on behalf of Families Together, and Healthy Minds, Healthy Kids. Recently, I helped facilitate a group of 30 people to meet up with their legislators at the Family Empowerment Day.

I am actively trying to change policy locally.  After the extremely rigid hours imposed during Covid, I am engaging with a local hospital and encouraging them to  return to more flexible and frequent visiting hours.  I am urging local hospitals to use the NYS ED physical form when children are being discharged from the hospital and include it as part of the required discharge paperwork for parents.  I advocated and ensured that four children, in the last year, were placed in higher level-of-care facilities by negotiating with parents, schools, and care agencies.  I attend CSEs, hospital meetings, and have a full slate of pro bono clients that I support in meetings to receive the accommodations that they need and health care that they require.

As a person with a disability, the mom of children with disabilities, and a lifelong advocate, it would be an honor to connect, coordinate, and act on your behalf. I am honored to be chosen to facilitate your goals in changing the systems of care for children’s mental health. Connect, Coordinate,  and Act!

Aprecia Cabey | Albany, New York

Election Race: Parent/Caregiver & Adult Leadership

Region: Central New York
Campaign Slogan: Embrace the Team and Vote for Preem!

Hi my name is Aprecia “Preem” Cabey. I am a trauma informed care facilitator for over 200 children in the City of Albany School District. People should vote for me because I am a dedicated advocate for youth and families. I am a results based leader that believes in flexibility. A vote for me is a vote for our voice at the table.

My vision for the council includes more engagement and resource tracking for families and children with behavioral struggles and successes they experience.

As an individual I am in a less represented region in this group. I live in Albany, New York where policies for the state are created and made. In terms of diversity I intersect as a POC LGBTQIA+ woman. I also received behavioral health and mental health services while residing at local group home for teens in Albany, New York.

Diane Tanner | Rochester, New York

Election Race: Parent/Caregiver & Adult Leadership

Region: Western New York
Campaign Slogan: Action to Advocate

My name is Diane Tanner, I live in Rochester, NY. I am a mother of three daughters and one son. I am also a Grandmother and Great-grandmother. I retired from ADT the Security Company three years ago. I been doing Advocacy Work since I retired. I currentyl work part-time for BIPOC PEEEEEEK which means Black Indigenous,People of Color, Parents and Caregivers Elevating their voices to Educate and Empower Each other to Eliminate disparities in services related to the Emotional Health of our Kids. 

I am a service navigator, I go out in schools, Rec-center, library, bringing resources about Mental Health and the needs for services. We are not clinical but we can refer you to the services you need. We also do training series on what is Trauma or Stigma to help get the public educated on what is Mental Health and how to identify the triggers.

We made sure you get the right services. I stay educated by going to training on a regular basis and attend conferences to enhance what is being taught to me so I can share with others. I also do advocacy with the Children Agenda, going to Albany NY three times this year (including with our Council), to talk to out Senators, legislators, and Assembly Members so we can have a voice in the New York State Budget to include money for Mental Health, Early Childhood Learning, and support Solutions With Out Suspension just to name a few. I am very much out on the front lines to make a change and have our voices heard.

The last couple of months I been attending forums for Monroe County Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse where my voice is being heard. I Love what I am doing and know that if you vote for me, we as a Council can make a change and our voices will be heard.

As I said earlier I am training to be a Certified Mental Health First Aid Responders. Now I am in the process of getting my certification. I know I will pass because I what to make a difference in other people lives. I am also finishing the certification process to be a Peer Support Advocate. I am doing that today! The more I know the better I will become being your Leader for the Council.

I am willing to go to uncharted territory, places that do not have the services that they need and find out how We can help. I feel I can bring  fresh ideals and will to learn how to enhance the ones we already have in place. I LOVE what I am doing. So I am willing and able to travel.

It will take the Village to build us back up. Parents, caregivers, and youth also need to have an impact on their lives and not be afraid to speak up. I amwilling to back them all the way. Just like right now, how I am going with my granddaughter (she is 8 years old) to a SEL (Social Emotional Learning) program getting educated on their feeling and how we can help them meet life goals.

I need your Vote so that I can get to work with the Council so we all can make a diffrerence. This is the first time I am writing but, will not be the last. Thanking You all in advance for what I can do and what we are about to do.

VOTE FOR ME

ACTION ADVOCATE

DIANE TANNER

Raleighn Williams | Poughkeepsie, New York

Election Race: Parent/Caregiver & Adult Leadership

Region: Hudson River
Campaign Slogan: Sharing Is Caring! Advocating and Supporting is What We Do

My name is Raleighn Williams I’m a mother of five and a grandmother of nine. I have children who have mental health problems and I’ve been advocating for them for many years. I’ve worked hard and advocating for not only my children and grandchildren but children in my county and other counties as well.

I’m a New York State family peer advocate, a family support specialist, and have facilitated groups domestic violence groups and parent groups for parents who have children with mental health conditions.

I am very passionate about it what I do. There are many different aspects of mental health, and I am very passionate about all of them. Each person is different. Each child is different each parent is different.

My vision for the council includes working together to build a stronger Council. I believe that the core responsibilities to lead a council is to be willing to work with everyone and treat everyone equally. I believe that, sharing all of my responsibilities and listening, and hearing what everyone has to bring to the table is key and core to being a good council leader.

I will treat everyone in every region the same.

I will represent every group the same.

I will represent each and everyone in every region and do my best to make our voices heard.

I love working with others, and I love helping others, whether chosen to be a leader or not. I am happy and proud to be a part of this campaign. I think God that we are working together to make a difference.