New York State Allocates $6M for Behavioral Health Crisis Teams

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has announced a significant investment of $6 million to support the establishment of health-led behavioral health crisis response teams across the state. This initiative follows the recommendations from the Daniel’s Law Task Force, which was formed in response to the tragic death of Daniel Prude in 2020 while he was in police custody during a mental health episode.

The funding aims to create or expand at least three crisis response teams, which will include one team each in a rural, suburban, and urban community. These teams will be staffed by trained behavioral health professionals and will incorporate peer support to enhance their effectiveness. The OMH plans to provide grants of up to $2 million for establishing new teams or expanding current ones.

In a statement, Dr. Ann Sullivan, the OMH Commissioner and chair of the task force, emphasized the importance of a health-led approach: “By establishing a health-led system of response, we can help communities to safely and compassionately address those individuals who experience a behavioral health crisis.” She described the pilot program as a crucial step toward implementing the task force’s recommendations, which aim to create a more responsive behavioral health crisis model statewide.

The Daniel’s Law Task Force issued its recommendations in December 2022, advocating for a comprehensive response to behavioral health crises in New York. The report called for the establishment of health-led teams that would use standardized protocols for responding to such crises. It also suggested that when a call is made to emergency services, such as 911 or 988, specifically trained teams should respond to mental health emergencies, with law enforcement involvement limited to situations involving threats of violence.

State Senator Samra Brouk expressed her commitment to the initiative, stating, “Since the tragic death of Daniel Prude in 2020, I have fought for the passage of Daniel’s Law to ensure that we implement a compassionate, peer-led mental health crisis response system across New York State.” She highlighted the importance of providing voluntary services to individuals experiencing mental health crises and ending the criminalization of those in urgent need of help.

The allocation of funds under this program represents a significant effort to improve the care available for those in crisis, aligning with the task force’s vision of a more compassionate and effective behavioral health crisis response system. As New York State moves forward with this initiative, the hope is to create a model that can be replicated in communities nationwide, ultimately aiming to better serve individuals facing mental health challenges.