Alliance Alert: The Daniel’s Law Task Force will be holding their next virtual meeting today, October 29th, from 2-4pm. The Task Force has been working towards submitting recommendations on how to improve the crisis care system and reduce the overreliance on police for mental health and substance use related emergencies which do not involve violence. The Task Force will be reviewing the findings from NYSTEC’s research and stakeholder interviews with people throughout the state. Attend the virtual meeting to hear more about the findings and learn some of the principles the Task Force is considering to include in their final recommendations. We encourage everyone to continue expressing their support for establishing a statewide system of non-police mental health responders by submitting public comment to the Danie’s Law Task Force through this link.
The Alliance will continue to update you all about the progress the Task Force and Legislature makes to establish Daniel’s Law modeled teams of peers and emergency medical technicians to support people experiencing a mental health and/or substance use emergency. See below for more information, including a link to the live stream of Tuesday’s Task Force Meeting.
Justin Mason Communications Director
(518) 474-6540
justin.mason@omh.ny.gov
October 24, 2024
NEW YORK STATE ANNOUNCES VIRTUAL MEETING OF THE DANIEL’S LAW TASK FORCE
Task Force Members to Discuss Findings Reports to Guide Future Recommendations
The New York State Office of Mental Health today announced that the Daniel’s Law Task Force will conduct a meeting to review findings and discuss next steps. Task force members will review research, landscape analysis, and stakeholder input during the meeting, which is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29, and will be streamed live.
NYSTEC, the firm retained to support the task force, will be available at the meeting to answer questions on the information and input gathered over the past 14 months. Task force members have established core principles for developing a health-led crisis response system that will effectively address disparities and service gaps in the system.
Established in response to the death of 41-year-old Daniel Prude in 2020, the task force is charged with developing recommendations to guide behavioral health crisis response and explore avenues for related diversion services. Following its inaugural meeting in August 2023, the task force has convened numerous meetings, including some featuring presentations on different behavioral health crisis response models to inform their work.
Additionally, the task force has conducted several listening sessions, which have provided an opportunity for members to hear directly from New Yorkers about their views on enhancing behavioral health crisis responses. These sessions have also solicited input on the best practices for engaging individuals in crisis, with a specific emphasis on equity.
In-person listening sessions were conducted at the state University of New York at Stony Brook on Jan. 11, at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan on Jan. 18, and at the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County on May 8. Virtual listening sessions were also conducted in November and April.
Task Force members also entertained several presentations from experts across North America, including localities in New York State and Toronto concerning crisis response strategies and service models.
“The findings provided by NYSTEC will inform the task force’s work as we develop recommendations,” Office of Mental Health Commissioner and task force Chair Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “We look forward to continuing this effort to identify crisis service approaches that will best serve New York’s communities.”