Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Council demands more transparency from Mayor Mamdani on mental health response program
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 17, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 17, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The New York City Council is flexing its oversight powers over a mental health response program that Mayor Zohran Mamdani has made a key part of his new approach to changing how the city handles 911 calls involving people in mental distress.
The Council on Thursday passed legislation requiring the Mamdani administration to submit regular performance reports on the Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division, also known as B-HEARD. The nearly 5-year-old program sends mental health professionals and EMTs to certain mental health emergencies instead of police.
During the campaign, Mamdani cited B-HEARD as a way to prevent tragic incidents where police have used force or even killed people in the throes of mental health crises. But the program has failed to respond to more than one-third of eligible mental health calls, according to a city comptroller audit last year, and has been criticized for a lack of transparency and sufficient data collection.
“Data informs policy,” said Councilmember Lynn Schulman, who introduced the bill that received near unanimous approval.
The legislation, which the mayor has yet to sign, requires the administration to include a host of metrics, including call volume, response times and outcomes such as treatment, hospitalization, arrest or involuntary removal. It also requires metrics on use-of-force incidents, demographic information and call locations by precinct and borough.
The first report will be due on June 1, 2027, followed by regular updates every six months. The data could become the first glimpse into how far Mamdani has progressed with developing a new mental health response strategy.
Mamdani initially pledged to create a new public safety agency with $1 billion in funding that would have focused on mental health response and the role of police response. But last month, he announced a scaled-back Mayoral Office of Community Safety that will start with $260 million.
Brian Stettin, a former senior adviser on mental health issues, said he was generally in favor of City Hall releasing more information, but that lengthy requests for data can sometimes be burdensome and “counterproductive.”
“There is a cost to making people spend time producing data,” Stettin said.
Sam Raskin, a spokesperson for the mayor, said Mamdani supports the legislation.
“I wouldn’t characterize it as holding the mayor’s feet to the fire,” she added. “We’re trying to get a system where we can get help for people with mental health problems.”
This story has been updated with a response from the mayor's office.
Tagged
Health and Science
new york city
nypd
public safety
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .