Two MHASP Staffers are Part of Street's Vision for Philadelphia
Mayor John Street has named Mary Hurtig, MHASP director of public policy, and Chris Simiriglia, MHASP division director for residential and treatment services, as two of the almost 300 people who will spend the next year helping him plan for the future of Philadelphia.
As part of Street's "Vision For a Better Philadelphia," Hurtig will co-chair a task force on Health and Wellness with Dr. Gary Emmett, director of General Pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and Tony Valdes, executive director of the Children's Crisis Treatment Center.
Simiriglia will be part of a task force on homelessness. This task force will review existing services and programs offered to the homeless community and make recommendations for improving, changing and integrating services.
Simiriglia has supervised MHASP's ACCESS-West Philly, which offers services to chronically homeless consumers, many of whom also have a substance abuse problem, to help them improve their lives through intensive case management, outreach, psychiatric and psychological services and supportive housing.
As part of ACCESS she also works with the city to provide case management to homeless individuals affected by the city's Sidewalk Ordinance Bill.
The bill, which bans aggressive panhandling and sitting or lying on the sidewalk, was passed by city council in 1998.
These task forces, along with similar task forces on adult services, children and the elderly, will look at a broad range of social service issues affecting the quality of life of people living in the city.
Under the mayor's plan, the entire group of service-oriented task forces is, in turn, part of the Policies and Programs Committee which is headed by Rebecca Rimel, president of the PEW Charitable Trusts' broadcaster Code Anderson; educator/philanthropist Peter Buttenweiser; and attorney Marty Weinberg.
At the end of the year, this committee will be charged with making comprehensive recommendations regarding social services, neighborhood quality-of-life issues, economic development and involvement in the government by the faith-based communities, youths and young adults. Hurtig and Simiriglia said they were pleased to be included in the mayor's plan.
"It is important that the views and rights of Philadelphians with severe and persistent mental illnesses be represented in this planning process," said Hurtig. "The mayor has a shaky history when it comes to mental health issues, although he has shown that he can be flexible and helpful once he understands our point of view. I give him credit for including an advocate for people with mental illnesses in this structure."
