Response to The Federal Executive Order ‘Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets’
It is confounding that against all evidence to the contrary, the Federal Administration has put out a policy that brings us back to the 50’s and 60’s when mental health institutionalization was at its height. The idea of conflating mental health issues and homelessness with violence is something we have fought for many years. Locking people up and increasing surveillance for people with mental health issues is never the answer. We know the answers (look for our attached ten point plan) and none of them are in this Executive Order.
The failure of our system has been the failure of community services. Instead of investing in our community and our workforce, funding has been utilized for hospitals and prisons. We will look back at this policy as a backward response to the needs of our community mental health system. The bottom line is the more fear that is spread about the stigma of mental illness, the more people will not come forward and receive the housing, clinical support and other community services that they need. People will continue suffering in silence and the crisis of the mental health system will continue to be unaddressed.
At MHANYS in December, we put together a ten point plan that addresses community mental health struggles specifically to New York. Thankfully we have a Governor and Mental Health Commissioner that we know care deeply about our issues (even if we don’t always agree on policy) and will continue to address housing and workforce issues.
Our ten point plan is attached and again though specific to New York, many of the recommendations are relevant nationally.
Also we have included a very powerful statement from our National Organization, Mental Health America.
Ten Point Plan to Improve New York’s Mental Hygiene System and Crisis Response – 3.5.25
MHA statement on executive order – Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets
