Brooklyn Defender Services told the City Council that New Yorkers in mental health crisis are still too often met by police instead of care, leading to escalation, arrest, and incarceration when people need treatment. In testimony before the Council’s Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use, BDS called for a stronger health care response to crisis, more low-cost mental health and substance use treatment, expanded housing access, and culturally competent services that people can actually reach before they end up in court. “Mental health crises must be treated as health issues, not law enforcement matters,” said Danielle Regis, Senior Supervising Attorney, Mental Health Representation Team.

"We are encouraged by the Council’s and the Mayor’s commitment to ensuring that people in crisis are met with care, not criminalization, including the creation of the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety. It has become nearly impossible to divorce conversations about mental health from discussions on public safety and the criminal legal system. The media and public discourse have conflated the two—creating a false narrative which links mental illness to increased rates of violence. This messaging exacerbates social stigma and reduces public support for policies that create alternatives to incarceration. The previous administration relied upon policing and forced hospitalization to address chronic mental health concerns. Forcibly removing people perceived to be mentally ill to the most restrictive setting is not only inhumane, it is also ineffective in facilitating the goal of engaging people in mental health treatment. Mental health crises must be treated as health issues, not law enforcement matters. People seeking emergency mental health care must be met with compassionate and immediate care to avoid escalation and possibly arrest."
 

Read the full testimony here.