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NYC Council meetings, chaptered and linked by time.

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Q&A

Morano asks about case duration and barriers to discharge upgrades

New York City Council · Jun 22, 2026 · starts 0:44:02 · 53 sec

Morano asks about average case duration and barriers. Nicole explains cases take one to three years, with barriers including scattered records, agency reluctance to share information, and trauma requiring mental health support during the process.

Frank Morano

For my edification, how long does the average discharge upgrade case take?

Nicole

It could take from one to three years.

Nicole

And there's a little bit of a delay, whether that be in the actual courts themselves, in information gathering, sometimes in clients falling off and then getting reengaged, but about one to three years.

Frank Morano

What do you think the biggest barriers are to...

Frank Morano

to obtaining upgrades?

Nicole

I think that it has to do with the information gathering, where there's records all over the place.

Nicole

In some cases, some agencies are less reluctant to give out this information that is needed.

Nicole

If someone has been stationed at different areas across the country, it's coordinating with those.

Nicole

We even see this on the...

Nicole

For a disability claim issues with getting those health records.

Nicole

So it's about getting everything in the same place, as well as recognizing there's a lot of trauma and mental health support that is needed when dealing with these cases.