New York State is possibly days away from finalizing this year’s budget, and Governor Hochul continues to push for an expansion of involuntary inpatient and outpatient commitment. These proposals will traumatize more New Yorkers, especially those struggling with homelessness and mental illness, by extending policies that deploy police to make what are termed “mental hygiene arrests” and initiate involuntary treatment. The Governor’s proposals will not provide the food, shelter, or long-term support people need and deserve.
The State Assembly and Senate have already rejected these expansions in their one-house budget proposals, choosing instead to invest in proven, voluntary, and community-based supports.
Now, we need your help to make sure the final budget does the same.
We request that you take some time today to complete a few simple actions to ensure New York prioritizes compassion, effective services, and true support for people dealing with mental health issues and homelessness. We have created the following action system, linked below, to help you advocate for what works and push the state to reject harmful involuntary commitment expansions. We have included a section to offer a personalized message about why you are pushing for voluntary services, along with our letter. Use the link to complete the following actions:
- Email your legislators and the Governor
- Call your lawmakers
- Share this alert with your network
Let’s make sure New York leads with compassion, evidence backed approaches, and justice—not force.