The Board of Directors’ primary responsibility is the governance of our nonprofit organization. In collaboration with our advisory councils, they approve the priorities, policies and budget for DRNY. DRNY actively recruits and elects members who are, or have been, a person with a disability or family members of a person with a disability.
Christine Konsistorum, CPA President
Lisa Barone Director
Audie Serrano Director
Cathleen Kenny, CPA Treasurer
Anthony Curtis Director
Amy D’Amico, Esq. Secretary PAIMI Advisory Council Chairperson
Our Intake Department is our center of advocacy. They assess a high volume of clients for DRNY services daily and simultaneously close and resolve just as many service requests. There are a variety of ways that our intake advocates serve our clients in the community and those clients are the measure of how meaningful our help can be.
Our PABSS program helps people remove barriers to being successfully employed. Some of those barriers include denial of reasonable accommodations, lack of accessible transportation to get to work, or being discriminated against while at work. Potential clients must be under age 65, and must currently be receiving SSI and/or SSDI.
Our PADD program provides both systemic and individual advocacy to people with ID/DD. We investigate complaints of abuse, neglect, and rights violations. We monitor locations where people with disabilities receive services. We work to enforce and expand the rights of all people with ID/DD through lawsuits, public reports, education, outreach, and self-advocacy support.
DRNYFillsCriticalShortage
In New York State, people placed under guardianship due to a developmental disability permanentlylosetheirdecision-makingrights.Andonlyacourtcanremoveit.Thisprocess isoftencomplexandrequireslegalrepresentation.Manyareevenunawareoftheirrightto seekremovalandlackaccesstolegalassistance.
Our PAIMI program provides both systemic and individual advocacy to people with a mental health diagnosis. We advocate on behalf of individuals living in the community, as well as in congregate care settings, including psychiatric facilities, adult homes, jails, and prisons. We work to enforce and expand the rights of all people with mental illness through lawsuits, public reports, education, outreach, and self-advocacy support.
Our PATBI program helps people with TBI navigate legal issues that may affect all aspects of their lives, including access to medical care, housing accommodations, workplace accommodations, and accommodations in school. We ensure that people with TBI and their families have access to information, referrals and advice, individual and family advocacy, legal representation, and specific assistance in self-advocacy.
Our PAVA program helps ensure that people with disabilities are included in the election process. Civic engagement and inclusion of all people, including people with disabilities, is paramount to our democracy. We ensure that every qualified person with a disability has access to vote on Election Day.
The Marketing & Communications Department informs the public about our services, what we have accomplished and what your rights are. With that in mind, we developed a strategic and goal centered plan to identify areas to focus on and approach from a person-first perspective, ensuring that it includes all members of the community.
25 Chapel Street, Suite 1005 Brooklyn, New York 11201
ROCHESTER
44 Exchange Blvd, Suite 110 Rochester, New York 14614
Disability Rights New York, 279 Troy Road, Ste 9, PMB 236, Rensselaer, NY 12144
DRNY is supported at taxpayer expense by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, The Administration for Community Living; Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration; U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration; and, the Social Security Administration. This publication does not represent the views, positions or policies of, or the endorsements by, any of these federal agencies.
