Chair Brooks-Powers frames jail mental health crisis and care continuum
Brooks-Powers says about 60% of people in city jails have a documented mental health need, with one in five having serious mental illness. She outlines the continuum of care to be examined, including mental observation, PACE, and outposted therapeutic housing units.
The issue before us today reflects one of the most significant challenges facing our city's jail system.
Ensuring that people in custody with mental health needs receive appropriate care while navigating a system that was never designed to serve as a substitute for a comprehensive behavioral or mental health system.
Today, approximately 60% of people in city jails have a documented mental health need, and approximately one in five people in custody has been identified as having a serious mental illness.
For many New Yorkers in custody, incarceration has become the point at which they first receive consistent access to mental health services.
Specialized units and treatment models exist, but the prevalence of serious mental illness in our jails raises important questions about whether individuals are receiving care at the appropriate level.
whether treatment is accessible when needed, and whether the current system is equipped to support people with complex behavioral health needs.
People experiencing serious mental illness may require consistent medication, management, therapeutic services, and specialized housing to prevent further deterioration.
When access to care is disrupted, whether because of missed appointments, staffing challenges, housing limitations, or operational issues, those disruptions can have serious implications for individuals'health and safety.
Today's hearing will examine the continuum of mental health care available within city jails, including mental
observation units, programs to accelerate clinical effectiveness or PACE units, and the city's new outposted therapeutic housing units.
We will examine how these programs function, how individuals are identified for placement, how quickly they can access appropriate levels of care, and whether existing capacity meets the needs of the current jail population.