Small funding boost can go a long way in supporting mental health of people with disabilities

The TAP — which stands for “Tapping All Possibilities” — helps people with disability labels connect with others in a comforting and accepting environment while showing the wider community that “we’re not so dissimilar after all,” Daniel Cashman, executive director of Aim Services/The TAP, told the House Health and Human Services Finance Division Tuesday.

“I’ve just felt more normal … I feel like I actually am part of a regular community instead of just constantly living on the outside,” said Justin Page, a TAP member who has autism and a visual impairment.

HF1176, sponsored by Rep. Jay Xiong (DFL-St. Paul), would appropriate $10,000 to the organization in Fiscal Year 2020.

It was held over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.

Rep. Jay Xiong

The organization hosts dance parties every month and casual gatherings every week, as well as annual events like art shows. Everything is free and open to the public. Smaller events attract about 40 people per week while larger events draw 100 to 150 people each, Cashman said.

It’s easy for people labeled with disabilities to feel isolated. Near-daily discrimination, limited opportunities to meet and interact with others, and the sense of being an organization’s “project” or “obligation” can quickly sap someone’s confidence, he added.

But participating in fun events designed to bring people together while accommodating different needs and interests can have an incredible impact, building confidence and the desire to self-advocate, Cashman said.

People with similar interests brought together by TAP events have formed clubs celebrating writing, poker, video gaming, and wrestling as well as an addiction recovery group. It has helped people find new work opportunities and romantic relationships – some of which have even resulted in weddings and engagements, he said.

Paul Stambaugh remained isolated, even after undergoing extensive pharmacological and therapeutic treatment for agoraphobia, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. But within six months of his first TAP event, he was speaking in front of people and singing karaoke. Stambaugh went on to find employment, as well, and has held the same job for more than two years.

“I have a quality of life now I never would have had if it hadn’t been for the TAP,” he said. “More people deserve this … We have each other’s backs and we feel like we belong.”

As the organization grows, however, so does its need for funding, Cashman said.

The organization is currently funded through private donations and the requested appropriation would go a long way, covering the cost of insurance, venue fees, food, beverages, and supplies, he said.

“Nobody in HHS only asks for $10,000,” Rep. Nick Zerwas (R-Elk River) said, urging support for HF1176.

A companion, SF1476, sponsored by Sen. Foung Hawj (DFL-St. Paul), awaits action by the Senate Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee.