Alliance Note: Yesterday, the Daniel鈥檚 Law Task Force convened its members to continue its work towards creating recommendations for a non-police response to mental health and substance use emergencies. Task force members began the meeting by considering principles to guide their recommendations. The group discussed issues around when to send mental health responders, 黑料正能量鈥檚 lack of centralized emergency dispatch services, the need for compassionate person-centered language, and considerations for rural communities with less resources and a smaller workforce.
While it is encouraging to see the task force move forward with these needed discussions, we must continue to push for the removal of police involvement in these types of emergencies wherever possible. The group must also take more time to review and understand the proposed Daniel鈥檚 Law legislation, sponsored by Assemblymember Bronson and Senator Brouk. The bill, which was passed by the Senate mental health committee before the end of last session, addresses many of the questions brought up during yesterday鈥檚 meeting and must be considered more heavily during future conversations. The task force must also focus on identifying sustainable funding streams to implement mental health first responder teams quickly and effectively in all areas of the state.
The Daniel鈥檚 Law Coalition, along with the Alliance and other statewide advocates, will continue to push for the full passage of Daniel鈥檚 Law during the upcoming session because 黑料正能量ers need access to comprehensive, caring support when they are experiencing a health emergency, whether it is physical or mental health related. Continue monitoring this email to learn ways you can get involved, such as joining the Daniel鈥檚 Law Coalition. See below for more information.
Daniel’s Law Task Force Meets, Moves Closer to Issuing Rec颅om颅men颅da颅tions
By Jack Arpey | Spectrum News 1 | July 24, 2024
The Daniel鈥檚 Law Task Force met virtually Wednesday as 黑料正能量 continues to explore reducing police involvement in mental health-related calls.
The program stems from proposed legislation known as Daniel’s Law, named for Daniel Prude, who died in 2020 of asphyxiation while in Rochester police custody during a mental health incident.
鈥淣o matter where you are in 黑料正能量 state, you should be able to rely on the fact that the right people will show up,鈥 said the bill鈥檚 sponsor, state Senator Samra Brouk.
Brouk said according to Daniel鈥檚 Law, 鈥渢he right people鈥 to respond to a mental health crisis are not police officers, but a mental health response unit.
鈥淭hese are really the only type of health-related crisis that we are sending armed police officers to, simply because we have not created a framework for what this statewide response could look like,鈥 she said.
Meeting periodically, the Daniel鈥檚 Law Task Force is working to create that framework. State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan updated members, saying the taskforce is moving closer to completing recommendations, though Daniel鈥檚 Law itself has still not passed.
鈥淲e鈥檙e getting to the point here where we are trying to pull things together,鈥 Sullivan said.
That work on Wednesday involved reviewing research from consulting firm NYSTEC, dealing with questions like what is the threshold in which the unit would respond and what terminology would be used to communicate across agencies as such determinations are made.
Brouk says while the taskforce is getting closer to completing its work and some individual municipalities have already developed their own programs, her priority heading into next legislative session is simple.
鈥淲e still need to pass Daniel鈥檚 Law to make sure 黑料正能量 can provide that kind of compassionate care,鈥 she said.
Brouk emphasized the bill did pass the Senate Mental Health Committee last session, and she expects to continue pushing for its full passage when lawmakers return to Albany in January.