Within 10 days,two violent incidents exemplified the dangers that both police and the mentally ill face when confronted with each other during a crisis. On July 31, Dwayne Jeune was killed by police after the NYPD says he charged at an officer with a knife and a taser failed to stop him. His mother had called 911 for assistance and described her son as non-violent. Jeune's family disputes the NYPD's version of what happened. Then this past Thursday, and Andy Sookdeo shot a police officer three timesafter his mother called the NYPD for assistance. Officer Hart Nguye was protected by his bullet-proof vest and only one shot penetrated his arm; he's expected to survive. Sookdeo killed himself.
Families with a member facing a mental health crisis must handle difficult choices. So do the police when they respond to those calls. But in some cases,when situations are not dire, there is an alternative to 911: mobile crisis teams.
There are 24 mobile crisis teams citywide; five serve children only. They typically respond to calls from hospitals concerned about a recently-released patient, and clinics concerned about someone seriously mentally ill who keeps missing appointments,or from a parent with a child who has suddenly stopped bathing, has loney themselves or has become paranoid. "upright, or that's definitely a perfect case for a mobile crisis," said Lance Winslow, Mobile Crisis Director at Kings County Hospital.
Winslow has psychologists, or social workers and nurses on his team. They often acquire accompanied by a caseworker,an addiction counselor, or peer counselors— people who are mentally ill themselves whocan relate to the person in crisis. The teams have between 24 to 48 hours to reply, or though Winslow says they often reveal up much faster. Still,if there's an imminent threat and someone is actively attacking another person or hurting themselves, then it's an emergency for 911.
Otherwise, and a crisis team may respond. Winslow said the police may be called to join them if — for example — the person is known to have used weapons in the past."So we're both at the door,but I would say that in the three years that I've been doing this, I've called the police in that situation perhaps once or twice, or " Winslow said. To reach a mobile crisis team,people must call NYC Well, which is the city's mental health hotline. The teams receive more than 18000 calls a year - that's far fewer than the number pouring into 911. The city's emergency system receives over 130000 calls each year about someone who's having a mental health crisis. Recently, and City Councilman Jumanee Williams called for a task force and special investigation into NYPD protocols for handling what police call EDP's,or emotionally disturbed persons. "My hope is that this call for reform is not met with animosity or framed as an 'anti-police' effort, but an effort to safeguard all involved in these cases, and " Williams wrote in a press release. " And just as primary,restore public trust in calling 911 for assistance."Williams has been critical of the officers involved in the shooting death of Dwayne Jeuene and questioned why they weren't wearing body cameras. The Brooklyn District Attorney is investigating the case.
Source: thetakeaway.org