WILLIAMS CALLS FOR ANSWERS, ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EMPTY MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTERS

 

 Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams called for the de Blasio administration to account for the under-utilization of mental health 'diversion centers,' and to provide guidance on how the administration will use the centers. These requests follow recent reporting that of two Support and Connection Centers contracted in 2017 at a cost of over $100 million, one remains unused and one has only seen 45 clients throughout its operations. The centers are intended to be sites for police to bring people in mental health crises, alternatives to hospitals or jails.

"It is with dismay that I learned of recent reports detailing that New York City's Support and Connection Centers have done little to follow through on their promise to provide safe harbor and resources to New Yorkers in need, all while police precincts partnered with these centers continue to respond to hundreds of mental health calls every month, said Public Advocate Williams in a letter to Mayor de Blasio this week. "There is no lack of demand for these services, but there appears to be a substantial lack of delivery."

He also acknowledged both the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic may have posed in these operations and the urgent to overcome these and other challenges, saying "I fully realize that the COVID-19 pandemic threw budgets and timelines into disarray, but there are clearly other factors causing these significant delays and inefficiencies. Whatever the reasons, New Yorkers continue to struggle with mental health crises and continue to be placed into harm's way by preventable interactions with law enforcement." 

The Public Advocate questioned the administration on a number of points, including when the Bronx facility will be fully opened, to what extent they expect the centers to be utilized, and what metrics are being used to determine whether the programs are successful. 

The full letter to the Mayor is below, and can be downloaded here.

Dear Mayor de Blasio:

 

Four years ago, your administration signed a contract to build and run the city's first "diversion center," meant to be a sanctuary of support and safety for New Yorkers experiencing mental health crises. Now known as Support and Connection Centers, these were intended as an alternative to people in emotional distress being taken to jails and emergency rooms. It is with dismay that I learned of recent reports detailing that New York City's Support and Connection Centers have done little to follow through on their promise to provide safe harbor and resources to New Yorkers in need, all while police precincts partnered with these centers continue to respond to hundreds of mental health calls every month. There is no lack of demand for these services, but there appears to be a substantial lack of delivery.

Of the two Support and Connection Centers meant to be fully operational by now, one remains empty, and the other has only met a sliver of its initial goals. Recent reports indicate that the East Harlem center, now operational for six months, has served as few as 45 people, despite the administration's estimates of more than 1,200 people being served annually - at the current rate this facility is on track to hit less than 10% of its goal. The other center, in the Bronx, has yet to serve anyone, despite promises that it would open more than 18 months ago. I fully realize that the COVID-19 pandemic threw budgets and timelines into disarray, but there are clearly other factors causing these significant delays and inefficiencies. Whatever the reasons, New Yorkers continue to struggle with mental health crises and continue to be placed into harm's way by preventable interactions with law enforcement. 

I would like to inquire as to why the stated goals are so far from being met and how invested resources have been allocated. 

• When do you expect the Bronx facility to fully open for operations? 
• Does the delay in opening the Bronx facility affect the contract with Samaritan Daytop Village? 
• Do you still estimate that each facility will serve 1,200 people per year? If so, when do you expect intake numbers to be on track to reach this target? 
• What criteria will be used to determine if the Support and Connection Centers have
• been a success? 
• How many staff have been hired? What are the planned staffing levels at each of theSupport and Connection Centers? How many discharge planners, counselors, outreach workers, mental health peers, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and security guards will there be? 
• What types of services have the 45 clients that have been served thus far been connected to? 
• What does client follow up look like post-discharge?

I look forward to receiving your response within 14 days as we work together to make our city a safer and more healthy place. Please direct any questions or further discussion toward First Deputy Public Advocate Nick E. Smith, at nsmith@advocate.nyc.gov. 

Thank you. 

Sincerely,

Jumaane D. Williams

Public Advocate for the City of New York