AHRC New York City

06/05/2026

Shirley Berenstein has been a school principal, a pioneering program designer for children with HIV/AIDS and people with traumatic brain injuries, a historian, a storyteller, and a communications leader during a 50-year career that has indelibly transformed AHRC New York City. Her remarkable impact was celebrated with longtime colleagues and friends on June 1st at AHRC NYC Headquarters.

Celebrate the impactful journey of Shirley Berenstein, a school principal and storyteller who transformed lives at AHRC NYC.

06/03/2026

Our CEO, Marco Damiani, was a guest on the Dental Health Show on SiriusXM Doctor Radio (Channel 110). Marco chatted with Dr. Amr Moursi from New York University - College of Dentistry in a wide-ranging discussion about the importance of oral health, health equity for people with disabilities, and suggestions for parents of people with autism and other disabilities on how to navigate provider accessibility. The Dental Health Hour is available on demand for SiriusXM subscribers.

Thank you to Dr. Moursi and Doctor Radio for the invitation!

Photo 1: Marco Damiani speaks about healthy equity and oral health on SiriusXM's Doctor Radio

Photo 2: Marco Damiani with Dr. Amr Moursi

Photo 3: Dr. Amr Mousi discusses health issues for people with disabilities and their families with Marco Damiani

06/01/2026

Happy Pride Month from all of us at AHRC NYC! We strive to let every person in our orbit be the best and truest version of themselves, which is never more important than when showing Pride in LBGTQ identity. This month and every month, join us in recognizing that difference is embraced, valued and celebrated.

05/26/2026

The weather has mercifully changed since last week when our gardeners in the Bronx took to the streets to beautify their neighborhood. Here’s to sunny blue skies for all of our green thumbs this summer!

05/21/2026

Check out the opening number from AHRC NYC Our Broadway’s production of Rodger & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Lots more to come this year from these talented performers, including their first original musical. Stay tuned!

05/20/2026

This week is critical for the New York State budget, and the TII is actively being discussed. Providers supporting the I/DD community are facing rising costs and staffing shortages amidst growing demand.

Please tell your legislators they must include the full 4% TII in the final budget.

05/13/2026

Syracuse University’s Burton Blatt Institute (BBI), in association with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)-New York City Metro and AHRC New York City, hosted a stakeholder convening on Digital Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs) at Cozen O'Connor's headquarters at 3 World Trade Center. In New York State, PADs are legal documents (on paper or digitally) that promote self-determination by allowing individuals to specify their support and treatment preferences in advance of a mental health crisis. The full-day convening brought together a diverse cross-sector group of leaders and practitioners, including representatives from government, nonprofit organizations, peer support networks, law enforcement, and provider associations focused on behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) services.

“Digital Psychiatric Advance Directives are fundamentally about voice and self-determination—ensuring that people are not just recipients of care, but authors of their own support plans,” said Marco Damiani, CEO of AHRC NYC. “For individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions, this represents both an opportunity and an imperative to advance a more integrated vision of care—one that bridges historically siloed systems and truly reflects the whole person.”

“Today was a groundbreaking day centered around forward-thinking vision and multi-disciplinary collaboration from dedicated mental health professionals,” said Dr. Peter Blanck, University Professor at Syracuse University and Director of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI). “Digital PADs algin with BBI’s core mission to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities worldwide by ensuring that new technology is available to those who need it most—people with psychiatric needs and their families.”

AHRC NYC, BBI, NAMI-NYC, and its partners look forward to continued collaboration to advance the use of Digital PADs, with the shared goal of building more responsive, equitable, and person-centered systems of care.

05/12/2026

Thank you to for meeting with us in-person at his district office in Chelsea. The Senator’s support for our programs means so much to us and our families as we continue to advocate for a 4% targeted inflationary increase with New York State budget negotiations still ongoing. We’re excited to work with the Senator again in the near future.

05/11/2026

"I’ve had great support at AHRC NYC. I love the nurses here and supporting people in their health journey, including addressing their disability needs.”

National Nurses Week gives us a chance to appreciate the medical professionals who keep all our residents and Day Services attendees healthy, safe, and happy.

During National Nurses Week, we honor the commitment of nurses in our community and their lasting impact on residents' lives.