DOH&MH NYC MEETING WITH RACCNY.INC 4/24/8 12 PM.

"NO ONE LEFT BEHIND" PROJECT OF RACCNY.INC

Good afternoon everybody and thanks a lot for your time and attention to our Project.

My name is Mikhail Shats and I am the Program Director of NOLB project and a Board
Member of RACCNY.INC. I earned my MSW from NYU and at the present time work as
a Therapist at a Mental health Center and as an Intensive Case Manager. I am also one
of the creators of "NO ONE LEFT BEHIND" Project.

Our organization recognize the problem of alcohol, tobacco and substance use and
abuse within Russian speaking population of NY already for the last 10 years as the
NUMBER ONE problem in Russian population and that's why we address so much
attention to its resolution.

The project "NO ONE LEFT BEHIND” is a complex approach to existing problems which
was successfully tested in Russian-speaking immigrant community and got a high level
of grades not only from professionals, but from clients and members of their families
also.

The project was developed on the base of scientific research of reasons of beginning
experimenting with drugs among children and young adults and following forming
substance dependency as well as creation most effective programs in prevention of
substance abuse and addiction.

Another extremely important direction of project "NO ONE LEFT BEHIND” work is
providing effective prevention services on after treatment relapses.

We assert:

1 The main reason of development Substance Use and Abuse in the Russian American
population is the low level of Public Education in this field as well as the low level of
choice and participation possibilities of after school as well as after treatment social
activities for physical, intellectual and social development children, teens and young
adults in Russian speaking immigrant community.

2 The low level choice of social activities for addicts at recovery - is one of the crucial
reasons of relapses so cost effective for our society.

Both of these major problems can be successfully resolved by implementing our "NO
ONE LEFT BEHIND” in action.

Let me now shortly remind you of the matter of project "NO ONE LEFT BEHIND".
This Table demonstrates stages of developmental drug abuse dependency and the
ways of resolving the problem with use of "NO ONE LEFT BEHIND” complex program
system.

As I told you earlier, drug dependency problem consists of 4 stages:

1. Interest and experimentation to substances.

2. Use and Abuse.
3. Dependence and Treatment
4. People in recovery.

Our research in the Russian community of NY shows that among the users of
substances the age groups divided in 3 big subgroups, such as:

o Children, teens, young adults (from 9 up to 25 years)-85% of Russian

speaking users.

This is a group, which is at risk of developmental dependency to tobacco,

alcohol and drugs and this group is getting zero attention from practitioners in
the field in their language. When I say” attention” I mean- Education and
Prevention, which is addressed to the youth and their families.

o Early retired (55-65 years old) 5%-a new growing group of baby boomers
that are looking for a good time after finishing their job duties. They are
full of power and energy but cannot find a new place in life. Having
money and a lot of free time they are going in the wrong direction
because they just don’t know where to go.
o Others (25-55 years old)- 10%-Busy with their job and looking to relax
themselves using Russian traditional medication-vodka or other
nontraditional but common alternatives like drugs and other substances.

As we all know as soon as the Use becomes Abuse and the person starts looking for
treatment, which is typical for the second and the third parts of our Table, addicts have a
lot of service providers including those who speaks Russian. But when the treatment is
completed the problem is not going away completely. The last part of our Table
demonstrates that without after treatment rehabilitation and support most of addicts will
return back to their problem sooner or later.

For Russian Speaking immigrants of NY the Stage 1 and Stage 4 of problem

development are left without any attention from existing service providers. As our
research stated these two stages are the most important at field fighting with drug
abuse and most costly stages for American taxpayers.

The project ‘No One Left Behind’ offers Evidence Based Program, which accounts for
cultural, language and psychological differences between the Russian Speaking
population of New York and Native American Society. As you understand the
professionals of the Russian American Community, especially those who have been
exposed to American education, better than any others are familiar with Russian
mentality, family and social values and personal life goal development.

So, this is why we assert that our project ‘No One Left Behind’, has been created by
Russian professionals especially for Russian population of New York and has been able
to provide best results in the areas of public education and prevention services.

As a closed statement of my presentation, I’d like to say this: I do not reject any
traditional treatment but strive to bridge the existing cultural gap in an effort to benefit
Russian Speaking immigrants of New York as well as other Immigrant and native
population of our City.

That's why RACCNY urge Department of Mental Health and Mental Hygiene to find the
opportunity for financing the ‘NO ONE LEFT BEHIND’ NOW, even in the time of such
economic instabilities and budget cuts.

At the end of my presentation I’d like to add the most important message: project "NO
ONE LEFT BEHIND " saves not only American taxpayers money, but this unique project
is able to save the life of thousands and thousand of our children, great- and grand-
grand children and help our country to win a long-term war with drug, alcohol and
tobacco use and addiction.

What can be more important than that?

Thanks for your time and attention. If you have any questions for me –I’ll be glad to
answer them at the end of this discussion.