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\u2019s goal of pivoting to a health-led response in cases where someone is experiencing a behavioral health crisis, as opposed to police involvement.<\/p>\n
That transition is driven by the push to pass Daniel\u2019s Law, named for Daniel Prude, who died in Rochester police custody while experiencing a mental health crisis in 2020. The state\u2019s Daniel\u2019s Law task force issued recommendations for a statewide rollout of health-led crisis response support systems in 2024.<\/p>\n
The $6 million in funding for the pilot programs was announced as part of last year\u2019s state budget, along with $2 million to establish a statewide crisis response technical assistance center.<\/p>\n
The funding will provide $2 million each to the city of Rochester, Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Services, and Children\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
The city of Rochester will use the funding to expand its\u00a0Person In Crisis\u00a0team, a round-the-clock service which responds to calls without law enforcement. Children\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy establishing a health-led system of response, communities can safely, effectively, and compassionately respond to individuals who experience a behavioral health crisis,\u201d\u00a0Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said.\u00a0\u201cThese 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.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
State Assemblymember Harry Bronson, sponsor of Daniel\u2019s Law in the lower chamber, noted that it was appropriate to see Rochester included in the grant awards.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving\u00a0Rochester\u2019s Person in Crisis\u00a0receive this funding and\u00a0participate\u00a0in 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.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0here today, and\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0been here for the past six years, fighting to ensure that tragedy never happens again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n