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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Arlene Machado, Case Manager at Bronx HOPE Program
4:51:25
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132 sec
Arlene Machado, a case manager for the Bronx HOPE Program, testified about the critical need for mental health care and the value of peer specialists in addressing substance use and mental health issues. She emphasized the interconnection between mental illness and substance use, highlighting the barriers clients face in accessing proper care.
- Machado stressed the importance of harm reduction models and rehabilitation over punitive measures.
- She shared her personal experience as a peer specialist, illustrating the unique connection and support peers can offer to clients.
- The testimony underscored the effectiveness of peer engagement in helping clients complete programming and connect with their community.
Arlene Machado
4:51:25
Good afternoon, Shirley, and council members.
4:51:28
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the behalf of the Center for Justice Innovation.
4:51:33
My name is Arlene Machado, and I'm a case manager.
4:51:35
For the Bronx Hole Program, Bronx Heroin Overdose Prevention And Education Initiative of Bronx Community Solutions, which addresses substance use and at a harm reduction model at the present level.
4:51:48
Providing the opportunity for rehabilitation rather than jail or options that failed to address the underlying issues.
4:51:54
Over the years, I've been a witness to the desperate need for mental health care, for the people that we service mental illness and substance use go hand in hand.
4:52:03
It's rare that we meet clients who don't have a history of mental health disorders.
4:52:07
Typically, most clients usually use illicit substances because they don't have the access to proper mental health care services.
4:52:15
They face barriers like having to wait too long to see providers, not having insurance, and not being able to complete the various intake assessments.
4:52:24
Their health insurance just isn't accepted at the clinics that they've been referred to or that they heard about.
4:52:29
It's frustrating trading for us as caseworkers, clinicians social workers, etcetera, to sometimes find the adequate care for our clients.
4:52:35
Imagine how hard it is for the people that are actually waiting for the care.
4:52:38
I wasn't always a caseworker.
4:52:40
I began my career as a peer specialist.
4:52:42
My goal has always been to help and support the clients that have struggles.
4:52:47
As a peer, I was able to connect with people that I served not in a clinical sense, but in a way that related to the realities that they were facing.
4:52:54
I was a person somebody could speak to without the judgment without the fear of judgment.
4:52:59
I was a voice for people who weren't loud enough to be heard.
4:53:03
My past life experiences were no longer just a piece of trauma that I carried around.
4:53:07
They became valuable tools of knowledge to be passed on so that others can have the opportunity to know better and do better.
4:53:14
I say all of this to highlight the value that peer specialists bring to the work and the lives of our clients.
4:53:19
Our data shows how impactful peer engagement can be and how our clients are likely to Complete programming if they are connected with a peer specialist immediately after being arrested.
4:53:30
Mental health responses such as these are so integral to rehabilitation and connection to community.
4:53:36
Thank you for your time.