LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Harvey Rosenthal of Stillwater, New
York, upon the occasion of his designation as the fifth recipient of the
annual Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr. Advocacy Award on May 11, 2009

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay
tribute to those individuals within the great Empire State who have made
strong contributions to the disability community; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Harvey Rosen-
thal of Stillwater, New York, upon the occasion of his designation as
the fifth recipient of the annual Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr. Advocacy Award
presented at the 2009 Legislative Disabilities Awareness Day sponsored
by the New York State Assembly Task Force on People with Disabilities
and the New York State Assembly Committee on Mental Health, Mental
Retardation, and Developmental Disabilities on May 11, 2009; and
WHEREAS, The Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr. Advocacy Award was created in
2005 to honor the late Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr. for his lifelong commit-
ment to advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities; the tremendous
efforts Harvey Rosenthal has made to improve and enhance the lives of
New Yorkers with disabilities are worthy of this recognition; and
WHEREAS, The Director of the New York Association of Psychiatric Reha-
bilitation Services since 1993, Harvey Rosenthal has over thirty years
of professional experience in New York State's public health system,
serving in a variety of capacities ranging from state hospital therapy
aide, to clubhouse rehabilitation program director, to his current posi-
tion; and
WHEREAS, Over the last decade, Harvey Rosenthal has helped support
successful campaigns to advance community recovery services and the
community workforce, employment centered policies and incentives, prison
mental health reforms, cultural and linguistic competence initiatives,
new programs to aid underserved groups like adult home residents and
parents with psychiatric disabilities and to work for self determination
and choice, and against the policies of discrimination and coercion; and
WHEREAS, Harvey Rosenthal has also helped create and support the New
York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services' nationally
acclaimed efforts to transform mental health care to support recovery,
wellness, employment and other self determined community-centered goals
and to boost the role of peer support in local and statewide systems;
and
WHEREAS, His commitment to protecting the rights of people with disa-
bilities arises directly out of his own recovery; Harvey Rosenthal regu-
larly speaks throughout New York State and across the country promoting
the recovery, rehabilitation and rights of people with psychiatric disa-
bilities and, more recently, the importance of broader cross-disability
community integration-focused policies; and
WHEREAS, Acting as the Chair of the State's Mental Health Action
Network, Harvey Rosenthal has helped lead numerous successful advocacy
coalitions that have led to the passage of the Medicaid Buy-In legis-
lation, the MTA Half-Fare Fairness Act, the Community Reinvestment Act
and several renewals, as well as state approval of numerous funding
enhancements to community mental health services; and
WHEREAS, Currently a member of the board of the Bazelon Center for
Mental Health Law, the state's Most Integrated Settings Coordinating
Council, and the Governor's Adult Care Facilities Work Group, Harvey
Rosenthal has been a board member of the United States Psychiatric Reha-
bilitation Association (formerly IAPSRS), the New York State Independent
Living Council and the National Association of Rights Protection Advoca-
cy; and

WHEREAS, The initiatives that Harvey Rosenthal strives to implement as
a passionate advocate for persons with disabilities mirror the priori-
ties that this Assembled Body has before us today, New York State Assem-
bly Legislative Disabilities Awareness Day 2009; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is moved to honor Harvey Rosenthal, a
leader and a visionary, recognizing his labors and the promise of his
future endeavors; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Harvey Rosenthal of Stillwater, New York, upon the occasion of his
designation as the fifth recipient of the annual Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr.
Advocacy Award from the New York State Assembly; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Harvey Rosenthal.