Center Blog

Antonio Ruberto Jr., LCSW, CASAC, Director of Center Recovery

The Center’s new Director of Recovery, Antonio Ruberto Jr., LCSW, CASAC, shared this compelling testimony at a recent hearing before State Commissioner, Arlene González-Sánchez, who heads up the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), illustrating the immense impact of our programming.

“’A living nightmare’ is how a recent client described his life prior to stumbling into Center Recovery. His growing crystal meth dependency rapidly ushered him from a stable job to unemployment and near homeless in a matter of months, causing debilitating paranoia, anxiety and hallucinations. In short order, he stopped going to work and even became scared of entering his own apartment for fear of being followed. Although reluctant at first, he came to Center Recovery on the encouragement of his friends and slowly adapted to the Center’s treatment program. A part of his treatment, he worked to stabilize his mental health with Medical Director and psychiatrist, Dr. Shane Spicer. Progressively he was able to maintain abstinence; his paranoia stopped and was able to return to work on a part time basis while continuing to engage in treatment. He has formed friendships and is gaining powerful support from others in the program that struggle with similar issues.”

Ruberto’s testimony to the state’s OASAS Commissioner went on to explain the huge difference Center Recovery makes in the lives of countless members of our community and push for continued and expanded state funding of our program. Center Recovery is the only New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) licensed, outpatient substance abuse treatment program designed specifically for LGBT communities.  Since 2007 the program has helped hundreds of people achieve and maintain sobriety. The majority of current clients in a recent program satisfaction survey indicated that the primary reason they chose the Center’s recovery program is its LGBT focus. They pointed out that their counselors understand their feelings, and that makes them feel comfortable and safe while talking about issues of concern.

Ruberto went on to testify:

“Alcoholism & substance abuse remain a major problem for my community – lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Research indicates lesbians and gay men are at 2 to 3 times greater risk for alcohol and substance abuse than the general population. These issues also do not decrease with age as with the general population. In addition, recent research shows transgender people have comparable or higher rates of both alcohol and substance abuse within the LGB communities. In the last 10-years or so we have been confronted with a new crisis with the increased use of crystal methamphetamine by gay and bisexual men.”

“Our program looks forward to working closely with OASAS regarding their plans over the next four years. In particular, as we look to grow our program further, we hope for continued financial support for this vital and unique resource, along with additional support for areas prioritized for growth, including, but not limited to, co-occurring disorders and tobacco treatment.”

“The need for programs such as ours, which support special populations, is still essential. LGBT people face stigma, homophobia and transphobia, violence, and trauma which leave them at significantly greater risk for alcohol and substance abuse. Crystal methamphetamine use by gay and bisexual men show no sign of abating and over 30% of our participants reports its use. In addition, your continued and increased financial support will allow us to implement interventions specific to growing populations within our communities such as LGBT youth and Spanish-speaking participants, all of whom are showing increasing need for treatment services and would benefit from the continued availability of our established program, services, and knowledge.”

In conclusion, Ruberto thanked the commissioner for the opportunity to share the story of Center Recovery and asked for continued support:

“Our participants wish to achieve sustained abstinence and recovery of their lives. We hope that we can count on your leadership to help this program grow and deliver services to a still-marginalized population that remains at high-risk for addiction.”

Center Recovery services include: individual, group and family counseling; alcohol and substance abuse education; HIV prevention, education and referral services; vocational preparation activities and skills development; DUI assessments; psychiatric, medical and other health and wellness services; and services for significant others.

To learn more visit us online.  If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact Center Recovery at (646) 556-9300 and ask to speak with a counselor.

Starting Friday, September 16, 2011, more than 120 riders will begin a three-day cycling journey from Boston to New York City. With the support of 50 volunteer crew members, they will ride 285 miles to the steps of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, demonstrating their resiliency and dedication to stopping HIV/AIDS.

They are riding to raise funds for the important life-saving HIV/AIDS services of the Center, which assist thousands of people living with HIV who have limited or no financial resources to cope with this disease. Money raised by the event also supports key youth HIV prevention programs at the Center.

They are also riding because of these alarming statistics:

* More than one million people in the United States have HIV.

* Every year for the past decade there have been 50,000 new HIV infections in the U.S. and a quarter of the new cases are young gay men.

* This year alone, thousands of Americans will die from AIDS-related complications.

The crisis must stop and these riders are doing everything they can to make that a reality. This year’s ride will include Centerpieces, a cycling team comprised of Center staff, and supporters. Riders also include a devoted group of cyclists called Positive Pedalers, who master the hills with signature orange flags on their bikes announcing themselves as HIV+. Positive Pedalers break the cycle; they thrive with HIV and demonstrate why the Center’s work is vital.

Closing Ceremony

The Closing Ceremony, hosted by out lesbian country singer Chely Wright, will be held at 5:00 PM on Sunday, September 18th, when loved ones, family and supporters gather outside the Center on West 13th Street to welcome back the riders and crew members. The celebration will continue inside the Center with a Victory Party sponsored by GO Burger and Brooklyn Brewery. The GO Burger Truck takes the gourmet burger experience on the road and is proud to support Braking the Cycle. Google is a presenting sponsor for Braking the Cycle.

In its nine-year history, Braking the Cycle has raised over $2.5 million for the Center’s vital HIV and AIDS services. To learn more about the HIV/AIDS services of the Center, visit us online. You can also read more about the event in this Edge article.

Back in May I booked our Executive Director Glennda Testone on the Derek & Romaine Show, a popular national LGBT focused radio program on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. The topic:  Braking the Cycle, the 285-mile cycling event from Boston to New York, which benefits the Center’s HIV/AIDS Services. Glennda was joined by Clay Williams, who is participating in this years ride with Glennda and around 150 other riders.

Derek Hartley, Romaine Patterson, Amber Hall, Clay Williams, Glennda Testone, Eric Epstein

We appreciated the show giving us a platform to talk about the importance of HIV/AIDS awareness and the need to continue bolstering our efforts to end the epidemic through Braking the Cycle, but never did we imagine what hosts Derek Hartley,  Romaine Patterson, and executive producer, Amber Hall had in store for us.

Glennda Testone and Clay Williams on the Derek & Romaine Show

In a nutshell, Amber Hall signed up for Braking the Cycle soon after Glennda and Clay appeared on the program, and she and hosts Derek & Romaine have been tirelessly raising money for the ride since then.  They invited Glennda and Clay back on the air in early August and to date, the show has raised nearly $27,000 for the Center’s HIV/AIDS Services, making it one of the top three fundraisers for the ride. Eric Epstein, President of Global Impact Productions, the company that produces the ride for the Center, continually updates us on Amber’s progress and the number just keeps going up day by day.

Amber Hall, Executive Producer, the Derek & Romaine Show

We cannot begin to thank Derek & Romaine and Amber enough for their phenomenal commitment to Braking the Cycle! And we are even more touched that not only is Amber riding, not only does the show continue to raise money for us every night on the program, but Romaine Patterson has also signed on to be a member of the Braking the Cycle crew, a dedicated group of individuals who look out for the riders every mile of the journey.

Amber Hall, Executive Producer, the Derek & Romaine Show

Bravo and Kudos to this amazing trio!  Amber Hall, Derek Hartley and Romaine Patterson,  hats off to you for the energy you have invested in our small but powerful ride that literally saves lives. We’re excited to see how the rest of your fundraising goes leading up to the September 16-18 event.

Glennda Testone on the Derek & Romaine Show

Read more about Braking the Cycle here. Donate to Amber’s efforts here. Read about our recent trip to the NASDAQ here and listen to the Derek & Romaine Show here.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Antonio Ruberto, Jr., LCSW, CASAC, as the Center’s new Director of Center Recovery. In this capacity, he will head the only LGBT-specific, licensed outpatient substance abuse treatment program in New York. 

Antonio has returned to the Center, where he previously interned while earning his MSW from the Columbia University School of Social Work. Following his internship, Antonio worked as the Center CARE Crystal Meth Prevention Counselor where he oversaw the coordination of a New York City grant for crystal meth prevention work, including counseling, outreach, education, new initiatives, and community support. During this time, Antonio also helped develop and deliver the four-week “Life Coaching” series for the Center. 

For the past several years, Antonio has worked at Mercy Medical Center’s outpatient substance abuse program on Long Island, providing individual and group counseling, case management, education, and advocacy services.  In addition, Antonio has worked providing direct mental health counseling via Catholic Charities. Prior to his career in social work, Antonio was employed in customer service and program management, including five years at Columbia Business School Executive Education, managing a portfolio of short-term open enrollment programs for executives from a myriad of Fortune 500 companies. 

Antonio is excited about “coming home” to the Center and being able to again focus on the needs and care of the LGBT population.

On Monday, August 8, the Center’s Executive Director, Glennda Testone along with Center staff and members of Braking the Cycle, had the distinct honor of ringing the closing bell of the NASDAQ Stock Market.  Braking the Cycle is the 285-mile bike ride from Boston to New York, which benefits the Center’s HIV/AIDS Services. This year will mark the event’s 9th year and many riders were on hand at the NASDAQ on Monday to showcase the importance of the ride and raise awareness about the continued fight against HIV/AIDS.

As Glennda stressed in her remarks before the closing bell “After almost 30 years into the epidemic, HIV/AIDS continues to be a major health issue in the United States and around the world. As the New York Times reported just last week, the Center’s for Disease Control released new figures showing that ‘despite years of great progress in treating AIDS, the number of new HIV infections has remained stubbornly around 50,000 a year in the United States for a decade… and the American epidemic is growing rapidly worse among young black gay men.’”

Glennda went on to highlight the myriad of services the Center provides to those living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. We have been at the forefront of providing services in the fight against AIDS since our founding in 1983. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers with HIV or AIDS have benefited from our help. Each year The Center provides more than 1,800 counseling and group sessions to people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. More than 1,000 LGBT youth and young adults attend HIV prevention activities and leadership training.  Thousands more attend educational forums and conferences.

Although the market was experiencing a major downfall the day we visited, The Center and Braking the Cycle were thrilled to have the NASDAQ platform to raise visibility and remind the American public that there’s still a long road ahead to the end of AIDS, and we intend to stay on the path and keep riding until we reach that end.

ADVISORY– (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) –

What:

Braking the Cycle and NYC LGBT Center will visit the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York City’s Times Square.

In honor of the occasion NYC LGBT Center Executive Director, Glennda Testone will ring the Closing Bell.

Where:

NASDAQ MarketSite — 4 Times Square — 43rd & Broadway — Broadcast Studio

When:

Monday, August 8th, 2011 — 3:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET

Contact: Barry Collodi 917-570-3713 bcollodi@aol.com

NASDAQ MarketSite: Jen Knapp (212) 401-8916 Jennifer.knapp@nasdaqomx.com

Facebook and Twitter:

For multimedia features such as exclusive content, photo postings, status updates and video of bell ceremonies please visit our Facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/nasdaqomx

For news tweets, please visit our Twitter page at:

http://twitter.com/nasdaqomx

Webcast:

A live webcast of the NASDAQ Closing Bell will be available at: http://www.nasdaq.com/about/marketsitetowervideo.asx or http://social.nasdaqomx.com .

About Braking the Cycle:

Every once in a while, you discover an opportunity that can change your world forever. Every now and again, you get a chance to be welcomed into a new family. And occasionally, you get a chance to make the world a better place by putting yourself on the line. That moment is now. That opportunity is Braking the Cycle.

We are not just another AIDS ride. Over the past eight years, we have built a family that loves and cares for each other year round. We laugh and cry together, we care for you like family, and we’re as much fun as the law allows. We think that’s why each year, more than two-thirds of our participants return. And together, our hearty little band accomplishes something big: In the past eight years alone, Braking the Cycle has delivered over $2.5 million to support the HIV/AIDS services of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, while spreading awareness about HIV in communities across 285 miles from Boston to Manhattan. We’re a small ride, but we’re a big family making a huge impact, and each year we welcome new members into the fold. For more information please visit www.brakingthecycle.org .

About the NYC LGBT Center:

A beacon of hope for 28 years, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center builds and supports our community through arts and culture, wellness and recovery, family services and life-saving youth programs designed to foster healthy development in a safe, affirming environment. Since the Center’s inception in 1983, tens of thousands of New Yorkers with HIV or AIDS have benefited from the organization’s service. Each year The Center provides more than 1,800 counseling and group sessions to people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. More than 1,000 LGBT youth and young adults attend HIV prevention activities and leadership training. Thousands more attend educational forums and conferences.The Center envisions a world where LGBT people will no longer face discrimination or isolation because of who we are or who we love. We offer a welcoming home to 300,000 visitors each year and we are committed to serving all LGBT people through a variety of programs, services and activities that are designed to meet existing and emerging needs. The Center is many things to many people. We invite you to experience our home at 208 West 13th Street in person and online at gaycenter.org < http://www.gaycenter.org > .

About NASDAQ OMX:

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. is the world’s largest exchange company. It delivers trading, exchange technology and public company services across six continents, with more than 3,500 listed companies. NASDAQ OMX offers multiple capital raising solutions to companies around the globe, including its U.S. listings market, NASDAQ OMX Nordic, NASDAQ OMX Baltic, NASDAQ OMX first North, and the U.S. 144A sector. The company offers trading across multiple asset classes including equities, derivatives, debt, commodities, structured products and exchange-traded funds. NASDAQ OMX technology supports the operations of over 70 exchanges, clearing organizations and central securities depositories in more than 50 countries. NASDAQ OMX Nordic and NASDAQ OMX Baltic are not legal entities but describe the common offering from NASDAQ OMX exchanges in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Iceland, Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. For more information about NASDAQ OMX, visit http://www.nasdaqomx.com . *Please follow NASDAQ OMX on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/NASDAQ-OMX/108167527653 ) and Twitter ( http://www.twitter.com/nasdaqomx ).

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

Post by Kaden Freeman, Center Communications Intern

“Julio” came to the Center in 2007 to quit smoking. He had heard about the Center’s Commit to Quit Group, and after two bouts with pneumonia, two bronchial washings and many other health problems, he decided it was time to end his addiction. After 6 months in the program he was smoke-free, and has remained that way ever since. “Julio” was able to use the Center’s services not only to help him protect his respiratory health, but also to help improve his low weight and chronic fatigue, symptoms resulting from his HIV-positive status.

The Center’s HIV/AIDS services, which provide more than 1,800 counseling and group sessions to people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and enable more than 1,000 LGBT youth and young adults to attend HIV prevention activities and leadership training, also include programs that, while not focused on HIV, can be crucial in helping someone living with HIV maintain their health and well-being.

To help ensure that the Center can continue offering these life-changing and life-saving services, the Center will host its 9^th annual Braking the Cycle, a three day, 300 mile bike ride from Boston to New York on September 16 – 18. 150 cyclists will hit the pavement, raising funds for services benefitting those living with HIV/AIDS, and awareness about HIV/AIDS and its effects on the LGBT community. The riders participating in the event include people who have lost loved ones to AIDS, HIV positive cyclists, allies from both LGBT and straight communities, and even a team of Center staff, all of whom have been busy fundraising and training for the event.

If you are interested in participating in Braking the Cycle, it’s not too late to sign up! More information can be found at the event’s website. For information about the Center’s HIV/AIDS services visit this page on our website.

Thank you for your support!

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center has devoted the entire month of April to the issue of immigration and how it affects LGBTQ People. Our Cultural Programs department has hosted nearly a dozen events, ranging from “Strategies for Winning Asylum by Overcoming Stereotypes in Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,” to “Immigration’s Impact on the Political Agenda.” And during Immigrant Heritage Week we hosted our “Third Annual LGBTQ Immigration Fair,” an event to connect LGBTQ immigrants to service providers that can address their unique needs. The Center’s Services for LGBT Immigrants’ Social Action Group worked tirelessly to organize the fair and their efforts paid off, as over 400 people attended the gathering.

Photo Credit Rob Zukowski

These events give a glimpse into the vital work our Center does each and every day throughout the year to help LGBTQ immigrant populations find support in all aspects of their lives and we were honored to be presented with an official Proclamation from the New York City Council,  praising our Services for LGBT Immigrants Program.  The proclamation, signed by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, read in part:

“WHERAS: LGBT immigrants sometime flee their native country when merely being gay may be illegal, punishable by prison, and, in some cases, punishable by death. On this occasion, it is a great privilege to pay tribute to Immigration Services Program at the Center in New York City for its extraordinary support of LGBT immigrants facing these injustices and many other important concerns; and

“WHERAS: LGBT immigrants endure legal discrimination in many ways and need support for residency, mental health, HIV, family and other concerns. They also face numerous unique challenges, including their status as nearly invisible, highly stigmatized and marginalized individuals who often reside in generally underserved communities. Often, their undocumented immigration status interferes with access to their basic needs for shelter, health, employment, legal matters. These challenges are frequently compounded by social isolation from other LGBT immigrants, country of origin, asylum or residency, language issues, and more; and

“WHERAS: LGBT immigrants who visit the Center often seek help with dealing with the increased barriers to employment along with increased stigmatization and violence. They share how increasingly difficult it is to access and information that can assist them towards obtaining legal documentation. At the same time, they reveal the negative impact immigration barriers have on bi-national couples and their families. Due to the current inability for an American Citizen to sponsor their foreign born partners, LGBT individuals endure a devastating impact on finances, health and mobility of their families. Many nationals are forces to relocate abroad in order to keep their families together; and

“WHERAS: The Center has always been a tremendous resource for LGBT immigrants.  Services for asylum cases include: information and referrals, assessments and short-term counseling, letters of support in asylum cases when warranted, support groups and a social action group; and

“WHEREAS: The Center worked in coalition with other organizations as part of a movement wide effort to end the HIV immigration and travel ban. After two decades of discrimination and stigma, this went into effect on January 4^th, 2010. The Center also worked in coalition on the Uniting American Families Act, as well as on state identification issues which impact immigrant, transgender, young and homeless people; now therefore

“BE IT KNOWN: “That the Council of the City of New York gratefully honors the LGBT Center’s Immigration Services Program.”

As immigrant populations in this city reach and begin to exceed 40% of the population, the Center will continue supporting LGBTQ immigrants so they can bring all of themselves to this city and achieve all of their dreams. Congratulations to our Services for LGBT Immigrants Program and its extremely devoted Social Action Group!

If you are interested in the Center’s Services for LGBT Immigrants, you can learn more about the program by visiting this page on our website.

Glennda Testone

HIV and AIDS remains pandemic, killing 1.9 million people in 2009 worldwide, nearly 30-years after AIDS was first recognized. 2.6 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2009 and  40 percent were young people aged 15- 24.  In New York City young gay and bisexual MSM and transgender people of color in particular are at extremely high risk.

The Center is helping to get the word out about a very important event later this week. The United Nations is seeking young leaders to lend their voices to a one day conference on HIV and AIDS this Friday, April 8 at the UN. The 2011 Civil Society Hearing on AIDS is a series of interactive discussion panels convened by the President of the General Assembly, with leaders in the AIDS response from around the world. With people, communities and countries at a critical crossroad, the AIDS epidemic and the people whose lives it touches must help shape the future of the AIDS response. With 40 percent of new infections globally, young people are at the center of the AIDS epidemic and must therefore be at the center of the AIDS response.  In the lead up to the June 2011 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS, this historic event will help ensure the voices of those most affected can influence the negotiation process for a new declaration, which will shape the AIDS response in years to come. Join the dialogue to create a new generation of diversity, shared action and community participation.

Events like the 2011 Civil Society Hearing on AIDS, programs like the Center’s Youth Enrichment Services (YES) and Center CARE and fundraising activities like Braking the Cycle and AIDS Walk New York, which benefit the Center’s HIV and AIDS services, help keep the spotlight on a disease that impacts so many members of our communities.

Here’s detailed information for those interested in participating in the United Nations Event:

LOCATION: United Nations HQ, General Assembly Hall (1st Avenue at 45th Street)

TIME: Friday 8 April, 10am – 5pm

RSVP REQUIRED: (By 5pm, Thursday April 7) to bienenstockr@unaids.org, including your full name and e-mail.

REGISTRATION: Use the entrance at 1st avenue opposite 45th street. You will need to pass through security, so do not bring large bags. Tickets can be picked up at the registration desk in the visitor’s foyer, adjacent to the information booth. Please arrive at 8.30AM to ensure there is time to pass through U.N Security and collect your ticket.

Given our 28 year commitment to serving the vast health needs of the LGBT community, the Center was pleased to learn that on Thursday, March 31, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a landmark report on LGBT health issues.  Titled, “The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People:  Building a Foundation for Better Understanding,” the report underscores the need to address the significant health disparities facing LGBT people.

The IOM is an independent, non-profit organization that works to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public. The report was requested by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and will help that agency as it develops specific health programs geared towards LGBT people.

The report offers several recommendations:

(1) NIH should implement a research agenda designed to advance knowledge and understanding of LGBT health; (2) data on sexual orientation and gender identity should be collected in federally funded surveys administered by the Department of Health and Human Services and in other relevant federally funded surveys; (3) data on sexual orientation and gender identity should be collected in electronic health records; (4) NIH should support the development and standardization of sexual orientation and gender identity measures; (5) NIH should support methodological research that relates to LGBT health; and (6) a comprehensive research training approach should be created to strengthen LGBT health research at NIH; and (7) NIH should encourage grant applicants to address explicitly the inclusion or exclusion of sexual and gender minorities in their samples.

The Center applauds this report as a critical step in addressing the drastic health inequities facing LGBT people.  This reinforces the efforts we have been engaged in for decades to ensure that LGBT people receive the vital health care they need, including preventative care. Our community still regularly encounters structural and systematic barriers to care that have engendered widespread health disparities.  The IOM report verifies what we have known from 28 years of community and evidence-based practice and it will play a key role in bolstering prevention practices for LGBT people nationwide. 

According to a post by Metroweekly this was also welcome news to a key legislative ally:

In a statement about the report, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) — who has sponsored the Ending Health Disparities for LGBT Americans Act and been focused on addressing LGBT health concerns in her time in Congress — said, “For years, in Congressional hearings, briefings, and meetings, I have asked our national health policy officials and medical experts, ‘What do you know about LGBT health?’ Only to hear, ‘I have to get back to you.’ Today, we’ve gotten a well-researched and most welcome response. I am delighted that after years of advocating for more attention to LGBT health disparities, IOM’s report will bring us closer to the goal of promoting good health for all Americans.”

 You can read the full report here: