Cuomo Says New York Has a Mental Health Crisis. Here’s His Plan.
Context:
Andrew M. Cuomo, in his campaign for New York City mayor, has proposed a comprehensive plan to address the city's mental health crisis, focusing on removing mentally ill individuals from the streets to enhance public safety. His plan includes expanding involuntary hospitalizations and requiring universal screening for mandatory outpatient treatment upon discharge from public hospitals and jails. Cuomo's proposal also suggests increasing supportive housing and psychiatric beds, while emphasizing the use of Kendra's Law to mandate outpatient treatment. Critics point to Cuomo's previous tenure as governor, during which the number of psychiatric beds decreased, as a factor exacerbating the system's current struggles. Despite these criticisms, Cuomo's plan aims to address the mental health system's deficiencies by enhancing resources and enforcing legal standards more effectively.
Dive Deeper:
Andrew M. Cuomo's plan to address New York City's mental health crisis includes expanding involuntary hospitalizations and implementing universal screenings for outpatient treatment after discharge from public institutions.
The proposal allocates $2.6 billion over five years to build supportive housing and add psychiatric beds, aiming to provide deeply subsidized apartments with on-site social services.
Cuomo advocates for increased use of Kendra's Law, which allows courts to mandate outpatient treatment, arguing for more effective enforcement of treatment orders and penalties for noncompliance.
During his tenure as governor, the number of psychiatric beds decreased significantly, a development critics argue contributed to the current crisis by rushing discharges before stabilization.
Cuomo's plan contends that the decrease in state-hospital psychiatric beds was offset by increases in supportive housing, although the system remains overburdened with individuals falling through the cracks.
The proposal emphasizes the need for the city's Health and Hospitals system to add new inpatient psychiatric beds for individuals involved with the criminal justice system.
While Cuomo acknowledges the value of a 'housing first' model, he argues it is insufficient alone, as it doesn't ensure unstable individuals accept necessary services, thus disrupting existing systems.