NYC overhauling mental health services

NEW YORK - The case of Miquel Richards is an unfortunate tragedy. In 2017, while experiencing a psychotic episode, Richards’ 15-minute standoff with police ended with him being shot 16 times when he raised what turned out to be a toy gun. 

Public Advocate Jumanne Williams says that this is what can happen when police respond to situations involving mental illness, one which they’re not primarily trained for.

“What people need to remember is these people are not inherently dangerous,” Williams said. “They are in medical crisis and in need of a medical response,”

For that reason, last year, the NYPD quietly ran a pilot program rerouting some 9-1-1 calls to NYC Well, a hotline that provides counseling, treatment referrals and even sends out crisis teams to check on individuals. 

The pilot program was limited to Staten Island, and over the course of a year, rerouted 150 9-1-1 calls out of 4,500 that were made involving an emotionally disturbed person. Now, city officials say they are looking over data to figure out if the program should be adopted citywide. 

 “We listened to hundreds and hundreds of calls and had great conversations about what’s appropriate for who, what kind of response is best,” said Susan Herman, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Thrive NYC.

With just three percent of related calls referred to the NYC Well hotline, some say it needs to be expanded.
“The initial contact needs to be with people who are medically trained to provide medical care in a compassionate way,” Williams said. 

The city is expected to announce new resources in the next few months, but reminds everyone that the 888-NYC-WELL hotline is available 24/7.