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Report calls for crisis hotline to replace 911 for mental health emergencies in NYC
By
Bahar Ostadan
Published Apr 25, 2023
Modified Apr 26, 2023
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Caroline Lewis
By
Bahar Ostadan
Published Apr 25, 2023
Modified Apr 26, 2023
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A network of New Yorkers living with mental illness is pushing to expand the budget and staff for 988 – a crisis hotline – in order to replace 911 as the city’s default system for reporting mental health emergencies.
A report published Tuesday by Fountain House, an organization that connects people living with serious mental illness to clinical support and housing, found 65% of the city’s mental health crisis calls in 2022 were made to 911.
The other 35% of those calls were made to the national 988 number, which directs callers to local centers where counselors are available via phone, text or chat, according to the report. The report found roughly 25,000 of 95,000 calls to 988 last year received an in-person response from the city’s Mobile Crisis Teams, which consist of nurses, social workers and psychiatrists.
According to data from the report, New Yorkers made an average of 726 mental health crisis calls every day last year to 911 and 988 — and the group wants the city to expand the budget and staff for the crisis hotline to handle all of them.
Members of Fountain House said they see 988 as a way to reform responses to mental health emergencies — but said the city must also improve the hotline.
One Fountain House member, who asked not to be named for privacy reasons, said the 988 hotline is often more bureaucratic than helpful. She said she called the number last Christmas after a sexual assault took place at her family’s house and was met with a list of scripted questions.
“They asked me if I ever have delusions or hallucinations,” she said. “They didn’t believe me ... I think the questions are helpful to them, but sometimes they're not helpful to me. It’s almost like being interrogated.”
She called the line a second time that afternoon, this time leaving out any mention of a sexual assault.
“I just learned how to speak to them so that I wasn't treated like a crazy person,” she said.
But she said that’s not easy on days when she’s considering self harm.
The federal government invested $400 million last year in the 988 system to help local governments build out call centers. The state Office of Mental Health made a one-time investment of $10.8 million last year.
The hotline is run locally by NYC Well and a nonprofit called Vibrant Emotional Health. Fountain House wants the city and state to provide recurring annual funding to help expand the hotline and make it more useful for those reporting crises.
“It's a really de-personalizing experience to have someone just running through a list of questions,” said Lena Allon, a policy analyst at Fountain House. “In a lot of cases, that simple thing is going to be something where people will start to feel heard.”
A spokesperson for city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which runs the local 988 call center, said, "the city is committed to building on valuable mental health resources."
Even with its current shortcomings, Fountain House members said 988 is still a better tool for reporting mental health emergencies than 911.
Fear of violent police encounters and involuntary hospitalization weigh heavily on many of the group’s members, especially those who are Black or brown.
NYPD officers shot two Bronx men during mental health crises in recent weeks. Police said one of the men was holding a knife when he was shot, and said the other was holding scissors.
Fountain House called for the city to invest in robust de-escalation training for police, and a health-led response to mental health emergencies where someone has a weapon.
The group’s members also point out the city doesn’t employ enough mobile crisis teams to meet local demand for mental health support. There are just 19 of the teams across the five boroughs that operate 12 hours a day, according to the city.
This story was updated with comment from a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene spokesperson.
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Bahar Ostadan
Bahar Ostadan covers the NYPD and public safety. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or message Bahar on Signal at 646-740-7335.
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