TESTIMONY
MJ Okma on Enhancing Services for LGBTQ+ Older Adults, Immigrants, and Asylum Seekers
2:19:52
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144 sec
MJ Okma highlights the specialized services provided by SAGE for LGBTQ+ older adults, including those living with HIV and immigrants.
- SAGE offers LGBTQ+ affirming aging services in multiple languages for those aged 60 and above, with specialized programs for individuals aged 50 and above living with HIV or identifying as transgender. - The testimony underscores the discriminatory challenges and mental health needs faced by LGBTQ+ elders, particularly immigrants and asylum seekers. - Okma emphasizes the importance of building trust through local partnerships, language expansion, and accessible services like food pantries to cater to this marginalized group. - Recommendations include providing food service flexibility at Older Adult Centers, developing sensitive mental health services, and establishing coordination among city agencies to better serve older immigrants and asylum seekers.
MJ Okma
2:19:52
Hi.
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Good afternoon.
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My name is MJ.
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Oklahoma with Sage.
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We provide LGBTQ plus affirming aging services for people aged sixty and older.
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Older adult centers in Midtown, Harlem, Brooklyn, and the Bronx into a partnership with the Price Center of Staten Island with services currently available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese.
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We also provide specialized services for older people living with HIV and transgender elder starting at age fifty.
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Immigrants are the majority of our city's older belt population.
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New York is also a destination for LGBTQ plus asylum seekers from around the world for fleeing prosecution in their home country.
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It also must be stated that experiences of discrimination on HIV status also discourages individuals from seeking testing and treatment for fear of being denied entry or placed on deep deeper on deportation proceedings, especially given the fact that Prior to 2010, the US Immigration And National Nationality Act explicitly prohibited people with HIV from entering the country.
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All these factors compound and create pronounced mental health needs.
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At the same time, these elders are often hard to reach as they're extremely isolated and distrustful for some services, especially if they're also LGBTQ plus or living with HIV.
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Because of these barriers, Sage really works to develop deep deep trust with these populations in order to serve them.
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We do this in part by working with local partners that have influence and trust in immigrant communities.
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Expanding the languages spoken at our center and through community food pantries and grab and go meals, which are really important as a gateway to services.
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Sage strongly supports the pre considered legislation that promotes NYC Care Services at all NYC Agent Contracted Service Sites.
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And also has a few additional recommendations.
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1st, provide OACs with more flexibility to serve food catered to the communities they serve, which is mental to building trust to connect people to further services.
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2nd, support and development of linguistically and culturally sensitive mental health services that are LGBTQ plus and HIV competent and explicitly recognize the unique experience of older immigrants in those seeking asylum.
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And third, established direct coordination among city agencies that to ensure that community partners that serve immigrants and or older adults under any city can seamlessly connect with each other and provide clear pathways to services.
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More information on these will be provided in my submitted written testimony Thank you so much.
