A state suicide prevention task force has released its first report

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley has received $200,000 in the state budget. The money, secured through the efforts of state senators James Skoufis and Jen Metzger, will support ongoing efforts to provide free legal services to veterans in Orange County, Sullivan County and parts of Rockland County, according to an April 19 press release.

“The funds they secured in the state budget will protect basic human needs like housing, health care access, disability benefits and other critical legal matters for more than 1,000 Hudson Valley veterans,” CEO Barbara Finkelstein said in the press release. The nonprofit handled more than 1,000 cases for veterans and their families members in the past year.

The Spring 2019 edition of Rise is out. The latest issue from the parent-oriented magazine on the child welfare system includes recommendations on how support groups can give parents a safe intellectual space, the ins and outs of dealing with shame, and the science of stress. Read the issue here.

Providence House has won a $2.2 million contract with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The money will fund supportive housing services, according to the City Record. New York Lawyers for The Public Interest received a $350,000 contract to help people access health care services. Academy of Medical and Public Health Services will provide $195,312 worth of health and social services for immigrant families on behalf of the agency.

The Department of Homeless Services is awarding a $761,927.25 contract to Neighborhood Association for Intercultural Affairs to fund anti-eviction services. University Consultation and Treatment Center for Mental Hygiene got a $1.13 million contract to provide scatter site housing and support services on behalf of the Department of Social Services.

Advocates for rape survivors are rallying for Denim Day on April 24. New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray is expected to join activists at noon at Foley Square in downtown Manhattan after walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. The event is held each year in recognition of a 1992 court case in Italy where a judge ruled that a woman implied consent because she helped her attacker remove tight jeans.

The Music Conservatory of Westchester has received a new grant to promote music among autistic children. A $6,510 grant from the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism will help support accessible music technology for children with autism, according to an April 8 press release. Research shows that autistic children who engage in music therapy can better develop language and communication skills and more easily integrate into regular classrooms, according to the press release.

The New York State Suicide Prevention Task Force has released its first report. Gov. Andrew Cuomo established the task force last November to examine issues surrounding high-risk groups including veterans, Latina adolescents, and LGBTQ people. The new report examines how these groups are affected by current programs, services and statewide suicide prevention policies.