On Friday, April 29, 2011, the Mount Saint Mary College Center
on Aging and Policy and Aging United will co-host a public forum
titled "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Mental Health
Challenges across 3 Generations."
This forum is free and open to the public, and will be held from
10 am - 12:30 pm in Hudson Hall Auditorium. This is an excellent
opportunity for professional networking, and for students to get an
overview of career paths and prospects.
Michael
Friedman, former director of the Center for Policy,
Advocacy, and Education of the Mental Health Association of New
York City (retired), is the keynote speaker, scheduled to take the
podium at 10:30 am. Friedman has an extensive background in
founding and leading mental health support organizations; please
see his bio, below.
Registration and a light breakfast begin at 10 am in Hudson Hall
Auditorium. There will be an opportunity before and after his
presentation for participants to network.
Attendees: please use this link
to send an e-mail , indicating that you will attend, and
if any other people are planning to attend with you. We do not have
a formal registration, but we would like to properly estimate
breakfast fare.
Co-sponsors of this event include the Mental Health Association
in Orange County, Jewish Family Services of Ulster County and
Jewish Family Services of Orange County.
Michael Friedman's Bio
In a career that has spanned over 40 years, Michael Friedman has
been a direct service provider, an administrator, and a social
advocate, working in community and public service positions.
In July 2010 he retired from his position as Director of The
Center for Policy, Advocacy, and Education of The Mental Health
Association of New York City, which he founded in 2003. At the time
he also retired as Chair of the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of
New York, which he founded in 2004, and as the Facilitator of the
Veterans’ Mental Health Coalition in NYC, which he co-founded in
2009. He continues teaching courses on health policy, mental health
policy, and social advocacy at Columbia University’s schools of
Social Work and of Public Health. He also provides consultation
regarding mental health, health, and human services policy and
organizational planning.
Previously, Mr. Friedman had served as regional director (deputy
commissioner) of the New York State Office of Mental Health,
director of network development for the Department of Psychiatry of
New York Presbyterian Hospital, executive director of the Mental
Health Association of Westchester, director of operations of The
Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services; and Program
Director, The Bridge, Inc.
In the late 60s and early 70s, he taught philosophy at a number
of colleges in the New York City metropolitan area.
Mr. Friedman has been extremely active in the community over the
years, working with numerous advisory and advocacy groups at the
local, state, and federal levels. He is a past president of the
Coalition of Voluntary Mental Health Agencies, was chairman of the
Hudson River Planning Advisory Committee of the Office of Mental
Health, was vice chairman of the New York City Public Child
Fatality Review Committee, served on the National Institute of
Mental Health Services Research Planning Panel, and served on the
Health Care Policy Advisory Committee for the NYS Governor’s
Transition Team in 2006, to mention just a few of his community
service activities.
Currently, he serves on the NYS Geriatric Mental Health and
Chemical Dependency Planning Council, the Advisory Committee to the
NYC Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene, and other advocacy
and advisory groups.
Mr. Friedman has spoken at many professional conferences and
published numerous articles and opinion essays. His topics have
included geriatric mental health, integration of health and mental
health services, mental health policy and finance, health care
reform, child mental health, social advocacy, family support,
managed care, psychiatric rehabilitation, child welfare, family
violence, stigma, and political philosophy. He became a blogger on
the Huffington Post at the end of 2010. His writings can
be found at www.MichaelBFriedman.com.
Mr. Friedman received his bachelor's degree from Columbia
College, a master's degree in philosophy from Columbia University,
and a master's in social work from the Hunter College School of
Social Work.
He is also a semi-professional photographer, who has had
numerous exhibits in the NYC area. Some of his work can be seen at
http://photography.michaelbfriedman.com