One person can make a difference in the world! As Jews, we know this is true, and the following story demonstrates this fact. Mrs. Renee Labovitz took her passion for helping others along with her legal expertise, determination, and unwavering faith, and made an enormous difference for those suffering from mental illness or substance abuse.
Renee shared her story with this writer of receiving the Muriel Shepherd Award, the highest award given out annually to a member for the NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) – New York State level.
In 2017, Renee heard about NAMI – NYC and applied to be a volunteer for them. She found out that they had a lobby day in Albany to push legislation through that would benefit the mentally ill, so she signed up to go. Sadly, that trip was snowed out.
However, she examined the bills that were going to be lobbied and found one she felt was particularly important. She decided to call her local assemblyman, Daniel Rosenthal, to ask him to advocate for it. His office said that they would look into it. The bill allows pharmacists to administer long-acting injections to patients with mental illness. It helps people with mental illness in rural areas, where mental health clinics are far away, to be able to just go to a local pharmacy for their much needed medication. It also helps suburban and city dwellers, making the medication more accessible to them. This is important because people with mental illness often don’t take their medication regularly, and long-acting injections replace daily tablets up to six months. This helps a person remain in recovery and to live a stable, functioning life.
She then called the legislators in Albany, who also said that they would look into it. She then decided to call NAMI – NYC in Albany. She spoke with Matthew Shapiro, Senior Director of Government Affairs for NAMI – NYS. She asked him if this particular bill was still on the horizon, as she wanted to work on getting it passed. She also wrote a letter to him regarding this.
In 2018, Mr. Shapiro introduced her to a person connected to the pharmaceutical company, who was also interested in seeing this bill passed. She met with the pharmaceutical company representative and another person in New York City in March 2018. They wanted to take Renee to a fancy restaurant, but she demurred going to the restaurant, due to her observance of kashrus. So, they ended up meeting in an abandoned food court. They discussed strategies for when they would meet with legislators. At that time, the legislation only covered injections for mental illness. The bill was stuck in the assembly for three years.
Around 2020, the bill was expanded to include medication for substance use disorders. The advocacy group for the bill then included organizations for substance abuse disorders as well. The pharmacist’s group from New York also joined. Then, Renee and the other advocates for the bill all met with the chairwoman of the Assembly Higher Education Committee in Albany on Zoom. The chairwoman agreed to approve the legislation if it specified that the injection by the pharmacist could only be administered in the arm.
Renee and the others accepted that limitation and the bill passed the State Assembly and the State Senate. They met with Governor Hochel’s office last year and she then signed the Assembly Bill 3040B / Senate Bill 4870B into law.
Renee was awarded the highly esteemed Muriel Shepherd Award this past November 5, in Albany at the NAMI – NYS Education Conference. When asked about her next goal, Renee shared that after she retires, she would like to volunteer for a legal organization that represents Jewish students on campus.
Mazal tov from the KGH community to Renee for her well-deserved award. Hashem should bless her to continue to be an advocate for those in need and for the Jewish community.
By Susie Garber
