Gutiérrez asks about post-release mental health care gap

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you all so much.

So I have two main questions.

One is around the mental health.

As you know, when we met on Friday at Crossroads, I was really taken aback by the level of challenge it is for a young person post-release to seek these mental health services.

It seems like, obviously,

for a lot of them, this is the first time they're engaging with a mental health expert when they're in these facilities.

So yes, I'm aware of the challenges, but what role does ACS play in staying in contact with these young people once they're released?

How can we be more aggressive to fill in that gap?

I just refuse to accept that

you know, for the population that is released, they're kind of left on their own to researching and calling.

And then as you all shared on Friday, for whatever reasons, a lot of these providers just don't have the capacity, just don't want to take on these youth for whatever reasons.

Like we should be stepping in, we should be providing, we should be figuring out how to provide these services directly to these youth once they're released.

So what is, is there another plan?

Is there additional investments?

How are you all?

responding to this gap.

So the mental health question, the mental health- Can you bring your mic in?

I'm sorry.

The mental health services continued service issue is a very real issue.

And it is being pursued both by our partners at Bellevue, Juvenile Justice, Mental Health Service, H&H is looking at it.

The administration is very aware of it.

And they are all- Do you have a sense of how many, I'm sorry to interrupt, I just have limited time.

Do you have a sense of when they are released, do you have a sense of how many of them are successfully accessing care versus how many are not?

It is not a high number.

It is not?

It is not a high number.

Many of our young people are excluded because of their behavioral histories, because of their pending charges or their prior charges.

It's a crisis in the city.

So then what are we doing to kind of stay in contact with these young people?

What are we doing to keep track of it?

We should be stepping in a lot more aggressively than what I'm hearing.

We are working very closely with the city to address this issue.

But how are you addressing it?

I'm sorry?

How do you all think you are addressing it?

Like, are you having one-on-one calls?

I'm just trying to, like, really understand granularly, like, how this is happening.

And I understand the challenges.

I get it.

So the mental health piece is not an ACS piece.

So we work in partnership with Bellevue, Juvenile Justice Mental Health Services.

They are following the young people to the extent that they can, but because they have also had challenges.

Bellevue is in this instance.

Bellevue, yes.

It has been raised to H&H leadership.

And there are folks in the administration looking at solutions.

Okay, I will follow up.