The New York state Office of Mental Health moved forward Wednesday with awarding grants to fund three community pilot programs intended to represent a step toward the state’s goal of pivoting to a health-led response in cases where someone is experiencing a behavioral health crisis, as opposed to police involvement.
That transition is driven by the push to pass Daniel’s Law, named for Daniel Prude, who died in Rochester police custody while experiencing a mental health crisis in 2020. The state’s Daniel’s Law task force issued recommendations for a statewide rollout of health-led crisis response support systems in 2024.
The $6 million in funding for the pilot programs was announced as part of last year’s state budget, along with $2 million to establish a statewide crisis response technical assistance center.
The funding will provide $2 million each to the city of Rochester, Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Services, and Children’s Home of Jefferson County and will allow those organizations to incorporate teams with trained behavioral health professionals and peer support staff into their crisis response system.
The city of Rochester will use the funding to expand its Person In Crisis team, a round-the-clock service which responds to calls without law enforcement. Children’s Home of Jefferson County will use the funding to address service gaps and reduce reliance on law enforcement as primary responders in Jefferson and Lewis counties, while Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling will collaborate with community partners and stakeholders to implement a health-lead crisis response that will build upon existing Mobile Crisis Teams.
“By establishing a health-led system of response, communities can safely, effectively, and compassionately respond to individuals who experience a behavioral health crisis,” Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “These pilot programs, in conjunction with our Technical Assistance Center, will provide a roadmap for other communities across the State to develop a health-led behavioral health crisis response system.”
State Assemblymember Harry Bronson, sponsor of Daniel’s Law in the lower chamber, noted that it was appropriate to see Rochester included in the grant awards.
“Having Rochester’s Person in Crisis receive this funding and participate in this pilot program will help it expand services and give the state feedback on best practices so we can move away from a response based in force and control to one of compassion and care. This announcement is made in honor of Daniel Prude, whose life was taken from him due to failures of a traditional emergency response system. We’re here today, and we’ve been here for the past six years, fighting to ensure that tragedy never happens again.”
While praised as a significant step forward in implementing Daniel’s Law, funding in last year’s state budget has been criticized by some advocates as inadequate for creating sustainable programs.
State Sen. Samra Brouk of Rochester, one of the chief advocates for Daniel’s Law, pointed to the need to push for additional funding during upcoming budget negotiations in a statement Wednesday.
“The statewide enthusiasm for creating non-police, peer-led compassionate responses to individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis is encouraging, and we must build upon this momentum by ensuring we secure an additional $8 million in the state budget this legislative session for more pilots and sustainable funding,” she said. “I am grateful that the city of Rochester was selected as a recipient of this award and has the opportunity to prevent tragedies like the loss of Daniel Prude’s life.”
The money awarded for the pilot programs is expected to last three years, and Gov. Kathy Hochul did not include additional funding in her executive budget proposal.
Hochul’s Deputy Press Secretary Nicolette Simmonds did not rule out more funding coming out of budget negotiations in a statement to Spectrum News 1 Tuesday in response to advocates’ concern, only saying that Hochul is engaging in talks with state lawmakers.
“The Governor is committed to advancing efforts that aim to develop a more robust behavioral health crisis response system to safely and effectively provide support to New Yorkers in need. That’s why she’s directed the Office of Mental Health to implement pilot programs across the state that prioritize health-led responses to show how peers can be effectively used to create a more compassionate response system and save lives. Governor Hochul will continue to negotiate in good faith with the state legislature to deliver a budget that makes New York state safer and more affordable. ”