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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Alicia Kershaw, Executive Director of GallopNYC
2:00:31
ยท
3 min
Alicia Kershaw, Executive Director of GallopNYC, testified about their therapeutic horseback riding program for people with disabilities, including veterans. She highlighted the program's impact on veterans' mental health and family bonding, as well as their efforts to expand services and conduct research.
- GallopNYC has a 2,000-person waitlist, with veterans given priority in scheduling
- The organization recently received permission to directly employ licensed mental health professionals
- They are working with the VA and an in-house substance abuse rehab group
- A veteran named Juan Torona shared how the program helped him reconnect with his family after multiple tours overseas
Alicia Kershaw
2:00:31
I guess I do too, actually.
2:00:34
Thank you for your support and giving me the opportunity to speak.
2:00:38
I'm here on behalf of Gallup NYC, a therapeutic horseback riding program that works with people with disabilities including veterans.
2:00:48
We have wide ranging programs which are described testimony.
2:00:54
Horses and people, actually military horses and people have a very long history and we tap into that deeply rooted relationship to help veterans.
2:01:04
We have a 2,000 person wait list.
2:01:07
Many, many of them are veterans.
2:01:09
We get calls from veterans weekly.
2:01:11
We prioritize we prioritize veterans when we schedule programming.
2:01:17
We're fortunate to have support of the city council, and we've applied for funding from Dwyer.
2:01:23
I would like to say, without getting into the prior panel, but I know what it's like to run an under resourced agency.
2:01:30
So I have
Robert Holden
2:01:30
But did you say you had 2,000 person waitlist?
Alicia Kershaw
2:01:34
2,000, not all of them, veterans.
Robert Holden
2:01:36
Oh, okay.
Alicia Kershaw
2:01:36
Alright.
2:01:36
We actually I don't think our veterans waitlist is very long because we do make an effort.
Robert Holden
2:01:42
You give them a priority, Yeah.
Alicia Kershaw
2:01:45
Our veterans work is an example of mental health work that's a growing area for us.
2:01:51
Just this month we received permission to directly employ mental health licensed professionals.
2:01:58
And so we are working hard to continue to expand our services for veterans.
2:02:05
We also are working on research.
2:02:07
I don't know if the RTM would would fit into our program, but I'm definitely gonna look into it because I I do agree that there's not enough out there that works for veterans.
2:02:16
And we do have something we feel works, so we'd like we're trying to improve that through research.
2:02:22
It's one of our goals.
2:02:24
We are working with the VA now.
2:02:26
We get referrals and we are working with an in house substance abuse rehab group which has been very very very successful.
2:02:37
I had a little anecdote but I'll save
Robert Holden
2:02:39
it.
2:02:40
Finish it.
Alicia Kershaw
2:02:41
Well we we do have we work another way we're expanding is veterans and our families and their families.
2:02:47
We have a veteran named Juan Torona who rides with us with his family, and he spoke at our gala about how important it was to be riding with his family and have an opportunity to reconnect with his family.
2:03:00
He's done, I think it's two tours, two or three tours overseas, and he he is very very grateful for the opportunity that we provide to to bond with his family through our horse program.
Robert Holden
2:03:12
Did did he tell you how it helped him?
2:03:15
Like, certainly bond with his family, be become a more well rounded person, connect with, you know, obviously the horses.
Alicia Kershaw
2:03:26
I think, yes, and a lot of it is, there's two, I think there's two main pieces of it.
2:03:32
One is spending time with his family in an activity that they all can enjoy.
2:03:36
But the other is that time with horses opens people up.
2:03:42
And I think he finds it easier to communicate with his family when he's had his time with horses.
Robert Holden
2:03:49
That's great.
2:03:49
Thank you.
2:03:50
Thank you for your testimony.
Alicia Kershaw
2:03:51
Thank you.