New York’s mental health court system will soon see an additional $33 million investment for treatment services as part of the newly minted $237 billion budget.
[I] just toured the old cells, detention centers, which will now be converted into healing rooms where we can reach out to people and help them get on a healthy path to recovery, said the governor Kathy Hochul at the Midtown Community Justice Center. Wednesday.
What you need to know
- The governor has made mental health a cornerstone of her state budgets by announcing a multi-year, $1 billion plan by 2023
- New York’s mental health court system will soon see an additional $33 million investment for treatment services as part of the newly minted $237 billion budget.
- Hochul included an $8 million increase for mental health courts statewide, bringing the total to nearly $25 million
- According to the Office of Court Administration, 40 of New York’s 62 counties have authorized mental health courts
The governor has made mental health a cornerstone of her state budgets by announcing a multi-year, $1 billion plan by 2023.
We don’t want to see locking people up as a solution that won’t stop what’s happening on the streets. We want them to get the help they need, the stability, the path to a healthy life.
The Midtown Community Justice Center is one of five district community courts. The facility offers people facing primarily misdemeanor crimes alternatives to incarceration, such as mental health treatment and counseling.
Usually, it’s in a time of crisis, so they walk in the doors, all systems have failed them, and they were at a point where customers have come in and said, they see me as a human and not just another number , Mel said. Hodor, a senior social worker at Alternatives to Incarceration who sees clients outside of court.
Hochul included an $8 million increase for mental health courts statewide, bringing the total to nearly $25 million.
Although 40 of New York’s 62 counties have licensed mental health courts, it is very difficult for people to get approved for their day in court, according to the Office of Court Administration.
Attorney Casey DalPorto of New York County Defense Services supports a bill sponsored by Queens State Sen. Jessica Ramos.
We need state guidance that makes this the law of the land just like we did with drug courts 15 years ago, he said. These courts can only really exist with the consent of the prosecutor, which means that ultimately the prosecutor ends up being the gatekeeper and controlling much of the court proceedings.
If approved, it would standardize the requirements for hearing a case before a judge.
We need to make sure you have the ability to handle it. If someone commits a serious crime, the number one responsibility we have is to make sure they don’t do it again, that they’re in the court system, Hochul said when NY1 asked about the bill.
In March, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told the City Council that his office can only try 50 cases at a time, usually involving felony crimes.
The Brooklyn DAs office told NY1 Wednesday that they have increased capacity to see about 200 cases over the past two years. But, there has been a decline in diversion program participants overall.
I think there are a number of reasons for this. One has been, in the past, many people chose to enter treatment or a diversion program because they had a bond against them, and now that they are no longer in custody, they choose to move forward with their cases, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. he said during his March 20 testimony. There is also less involvement in early diversions due to discovery reform.
Hochuls’ budget also builds on previous commitments to expand the number of psychiatric beds and outpatient mental health services.
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Image Source : ny1.com