De Blasio to send mental health professionals on NYC 911 calls

[TowNews]

When there’s a fire in New York City, 911 dispatch sends a team of firefighters. And when there’s a car crash, responders call for a tow truck and an ambulance. When when there’s a 911 call about an unstable individual posing harm to themselves or to others, New York City sends its law enforcement.

 

But that might not be the case for much longer.

 

In a statement made by the mayor’s office on Tuesday Morning, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a pilot program that would send counseling professionals to respond to 911-calls that are associated with mental health emergencies—instead of police officers.

 

Per the current design of the pilot program, law-enforcement officers will not accompany the mental health professional to respond to the call. Instead, crisis workers who are trained in emergency response and crisis aversion will be first on the scene and will then decide if a situation requires backup.

 

The pilot, which will initially be made up of health professionals and crisis workers from the New York City Fire Department Bureau, will debut in February of 2021. Before being implemented on a larger scale, the pilot is first being tested in two unspecified "high need" precincts.

 

De Blasio sees this as an initiative designed to more adequately tailor emergency response to the nature of the crisis and prevent conflicts with police.

 

"One in five New Yorkers struggle with a mental health condition," de Blasio said. "Now, more than ever, we must do everything we can to reach those people before crisis strikes." New York City's first lady Chirlane McCray spoke about the initiative.

 

Although numbers of emergency mental health cases in the city have been on the decline for the better part of two years, New York still has one of the highest rates mental-health incidents in the country.

 

The New York State Department of Health reports that medical services receive 650,000 mentally-troubled patients annually. Similarly, hospitalizations for extreme conditions such as schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder are 9.9 cases above the national average, per findings from the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics.

 

Not everyone believes de Blasio's plan will adequately—or safely—address the needs of a mental-health crisis situation.

 

Patrick Lynch, President of the Police Benevolent Association in NYC released a response to the Mayor’s announcement, acknowledging the severity of mental health in the city, but voicing concerns that his plan would unnecessarily put people in harm's way.

 

"Police officers know that we cannot single-handedly solve our city’s mental health disaster, but this plan will not do that either," Lynch said. "It will undoubtedly put our already-overtaxed EMS colleagues in dangerous situations without police support. We need a complete overhaul of the rest of our mental health care system, so that we can help people before they are in crisis, rather than just picking up the pieces afterward."

 

Where de Blasio’s pilot is a new approach to mental health in New York, it’s not the first of its kind. Similar programs have been undertaken in cities such as Eugene, Ore., Albuquerque, NM, Denver, Colo., Los Angeles, and San Francisco, Cali.

 

https://thepostmillennial.com/de-blasio-to-send-mental-health-professionals-on-nyc-911-calls

[rreschran]

I wonder if these mental health professionals will carry? Because ... when all Hell breaks-loose the "counselor" could become a victim of the same scenario. Or, when a disturbed individual decides to physically fight, will the counselor step-in to help subdue the individual? Mr. DeBlasio's pilot program is not new as there was a time (in San Diego CA) where police chaplins' would ride-along with beat officers, but crime wasn't anything remotely similar back then. At least it's a start and I hope his plan has success.       R.  

 

[GRUMPS The Towman]

I seriously doubt they will be armed, considering that is what most of these dreamers are complaining about. the fact that armed officers are responding to these complaints and shooting these "disturbed" indivduals when they attack them or someone else. These commie politicians live in a fantasy world and think that the only reason there is violence is because there are guns in the world. And what will happen when these un-armed, social workers get killed by some deranged meth - smoking assailant? Nothing. They will bury the facts of what happened because they cannot allow the public to see that their social experiments have failed. This is just another knee jerk reaction to try and appease the general population that cry foul before any or all the facts are presented. The NY government has always been a communist reactive entitiy as opposed to a proactive one. After any type of tragic situation, they ( particularly commie Cuomo and his minion DIblasio ) start doling out executive orders and law changes like they are giving out candy. 

A good example is the tragic limo wreck that happened awhile back in Schenectady where 20 people were killed including the driver. The bottom line is, the driver was driving too fast into a poorly state-designed T intersection and the limo suffered a brake system failure. Yet the state government jumped right in and made massive, sweeping reforms into the taxi-limo industry, adding numerous, expensive and almost unachievable mandates that put many small operations out of business nearly overnight. They also charged the limo business owner with criminally negligent homicide x20. This was all done BEFORE the accident was even properly investigated by any competant investigative agencies. The Ny state police ( Cuomos militia )Refused to allow even the NTSB or the FHA examine the wreckage. As far as the intersection, an extra sign was added at the top of the hill warning of the stop sign at the bottom. This is just one example of how incredibly inept and dysfunctional NY government is.This "plan" will fail Like almost all of their other off the hip plans have failed, Yet the left will continue to claim how much better they are making life for us common folk. This state has always had the mindset that there is no such thing as accidents. Someone, somewhere is at fault for whatever happens but it is NEVER their fault. And they will continue to slowly remove our freedoms and rights untill they have total control over everything we do.   

[TowZone]

Now you know how it works, these are mental health counselors that have been trained to counsel those under mental duress. They don't need guns or fancy lights on their vehicles. Most will even use their personal vehicles to go into a hazardous location. Because they have the skills the officer do not have to reduce tensions. Guns and Official Vehicles would make the subject uncomfortable and not achieve the same outcome as requested by those who seek to de-fund the police. Somehow in their minds they actually think the person which is out of control cares of has the capacity to care. Reason went out the down long before the police were called.

 

Now, I want to offer my sympathies to those who have family members in the mental health field that have been trained in a liberal setting and simply want to help others. I honestly believe their intentions while misguided and without full knowledge of the variables which can occur when out in the public setting rather than a controlled environment. In my mind having been on the edge of enough of these situations that $15 to $18/hr these counselors make is not enough for the high risk of injury or death. If anyone thinks they will pay more than say $20/hr your misinformed. Otherwise they would hire more officers and train them.

 

Why does part of me want to see this play out, I do not want to see or hear about the deaths that will without doubt occur. I feel it will be open season and numerous counselors will give there lives before the program comes to an end. Does anyone know what it's like for a medic to go into a active war zone with bullets flying? I can't relate as I've never been in that situation, nor have I really been in place were bullets were being shot closer than a block or two away. The more I think about it the dumber this idea becomes and the more I want to see it implemented. That's Wrong... This Is Wrong! Fund Mental Health Care Professionals in Mental Hospitals, Commit these violent offenders with Mental Issues and watch the problem decrease. Things only started going bad when Judges being influenced by liberals who would be scared or have never been in such situations decided it was inhumane to lock up those with mental health issues. This increased to homeless population. And I am not talking about those who are working to bring themselves back to society as their are 1000's living in their vehicles. These persons go to work nearly every day and while they could undoubtedly benefit from counseling

they are not the concern. However, they will without a doubt suffer being the easier target. If the Left really wanted to see change, do you think California would not look as it does? No, this is a campaign talking point to gain votes and it works. Ask your school age children, you'll be amazed at what there being taught. It may even make you angry.

[Stubborn66]

Notice how this was unveiled right after the election went their way....................Hang on, this is just the beginning

[GRUMPS The Towman]

I am all for mental health workers and applaud their efforts to help people in crisis. ( I have benefited personally from their expertise in a proper setting )But there is a fine line as to where their help could be effective in my opinion. And it is not in their homes or in the place where a mentally fragile person is having a full on episode of violence. Maybe I look at things too simply, But the person needs to be contained, restrained and the violent actions need to be stopped BEFORE these mental health workers step in. And that job is performed by police officers. Whether mentally unstable or not, If your commiting violence against another human or even yourself, then a law has been broken. Police enforce law. that's their job, that is what they are trained and paid to do. 95% of officers can actively recognize a threat and respond appropriately. Of course like any industry there are bad apples.

Society continues to coddle the mentally ill all the while villifying our law enforcement professionals. It is coddled so much in society these days that the criminal element uses it and exploits it.

As far as trying to perform a job or duties while under gunfire or other acts of violence, I can tell you with absolute certainty that no matter how well trained or prepared you think you are, It is the most mentally and physically stressful situation you could ever be in. Anyone who claims that they werent scared s#!tlless Is lying about what they did.  Due to OP-SEC I cant speak of any one direct incident, but I have had to try and stop massive bleeding from gunshot wounds on my team mates ( and myself for that matter ) all the while having to fight back and dodge small arms fire, rpg's  and even fight in hand to hand combat. 

The point I am trying to make is there is no way possible that these under-paid mental health workers can be properly prepared to deal with real actions of violence. More people are going to die on Cuomo and Diblasio's watches. But like Stubborn mentioned, They will get those left wing Lib-tard votes..   

[Stubborn66]

Grumps, first off, thank you for you service.

 

I don't mean to sound like I am against mental health care workers or would deny anyone the care they need.  I am by no means an expert on any of this but this seems to me that this is just another way for the Dem's to tout de-funding the police. 

On 11/13/2020 at 7:52 AM, TowNews said:

Per the current design of the pilot program, law-enforcement officers will not accompany the mental health professional to respond to the call. Instead, crisis workers who are trained in emergency response and crisis aversion will be first on the scene and will then decide if a situation requires backup.

Isn't this backwards?  Unfortunately these situations can get very volatile very quickly

 

On 11/13/2020 at 7:52 AM, TowNews said:

"One in five New Yorkers struggle with a mental health condition," de Blasio said. "Now, more than ever, we must do everything we can to reach those people before crisis strikes."

When the police need to be called, or a mental health care worker needs to be called to a public place or a residence, isn't that after a crisis has arisen?

[Moose]

I've just tuned out, main stream media puts this guy on a pedestal. He must have already had in dropped in his head. Remind me how many covid patients he actually sent into NY nursing homes to infect others. What was the death rate in New York, did they say 34,000+ and 24,000+ in New York City alone. That's like 10% of the entire country, just in NYC and this guy gets an award.... REALLY now we know how the election went the way it did.