CSCS: Council of Senior Centers and Services of NYC, Inc.

NYNP Article

Friday, 15 April 2011

By NYNP

Publication & Publisher: New York Nonprofit Press

Bobbie Sackman, CSCS, Director of Public Policy,
was joined by Council Members and other advocates
in calling for case management funds to be "baselined."

A coalition of aging service advocates lead by the Council of Senior Centers and Services (CSCS), Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA), United Neighborhood House (UNH), CityMeals on Wheels, the Human Services Council, and UJA-Federation assembled on the Steps of City Hall to inform the public and to speak out against the proposed 6.6 million dollar cut to case management. The protest was the latest in a series of City Hall events highlighting a range of cuts to human services proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The advocates were joined by City Council Members David Greenfield, Maria del Carmen Arroyo, Mathieu Eugene, Robert Jackson, Jumaane Williams, Sara Gonzales, Stephen Levin and Charles Barron as well as a representative of Speaker Christine Quinn.

A 6.6 million dollar cut would leave home bound older New Yorkers alone and venerable, say advocates.

"Case management is vital and links seniors with essential services such as entitlements and benefits, medical services, home delivered meals, home care, and many other supportive programs," said Fatima Goldman, Executive Director/CEO of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies. "Case managers are lifelines for isolated, homebound elders, and in some instances have saved seniors' lives when they have faced physical, financial or emotional abuse and neglect. Due to the expected growth in the elderly population as well as the current demand for services, we urge that funding for this core service be restored and baselined,"

"Case management services are a lifeline to vulnerable seniors who otherwise could not perform daily tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, on their own," said Cara Berkowitz, Director of City and Public Affairs, UJA-Federation of New York. "These seniors have made invaluable contributions to the City of New York through decades of work and raising families and the city needs to honor its commitment to care for these lients in their time of need."

"Case management agencies are the entry point for home delivered meals and the social workers they provide are an essential support to an increasingly frail elderly population, most of whom live all alone," added Marcia Stein, Executive Director, Citymeals. "These agencies should be spared the inefficiency inherent in lobbying the City Council for one third of each year."

"The impact to senior's citizens is unacceptable," said Igal Jellinek, CSCS Executive Director. " Upwards of 8,000 homebound elders will lose case management services, and another 900 seniors who were already on case management waiting lists. The average caseload, already 70, would increase to 85 and higher. Plus 112 social workers called case managers would lose their jobs. We need the public to call the Mayor and tell him not to cut case management."