Compassionate Interventions for the Homeless: The NYC Plan (ep 61)

Guest:  Brian Stettin,  senior advisor to NYC Mayor Eric Adams administration on severe mental illness.

Brian  drafted the legislation that became Kendra's Law when he was an assistant attorney general in 1999, after a young journalist, Kendra Webdale, was shoved into an oncoming train by a young man from Queens with a long history of mental illness.

The  Adams administration's new push is to have more severely mentally ill people brought to hospitals for psychiatric evaluation with or without their consent, and to change the state laws about the length of the stays.

This law is designed to apply to those who can't recognize their mental condition or take care of themselves, not just those who present an immediate threat to themselves or others.

Questions:

• Can you explain the plan in brief, and why it’s different from what has been happening in the past?
• What has been in support of this?
• What has been the opposition to this?
• Is there a plan in place to address the lack of hospital beds, supportive housing options, or other forms of long term care available for those people in need of help?

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-11-29/mayor-eric-adams-says-nyc-will-treat-mentally-ill-even-if-they-refuse

“These New Yorkers and hundreds of others like them are in urgent need of treatment, yet often refuse it when offered,” Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference, noting that the pervasive problem of mental illness has long been out in the open. “No more walking by or looking away,” the mayor said, calling it “a moral obligation to act.”

more on Clubhouses:
https://www.startribune.com/mental-health-system-must-be-able-to-help-those-who-dont-know-they-need-it/600256700/
Mindy and her book: https://mindygreiling.com/

Randye and her book: https://benbehindhisvoices.com/

Miriam and her book: https://www.miriam-feldman.com/

Hosts:

Who:

Randye Kaye - was a morning Radio Personality bringing humor to CT families when her own son was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Now she is still a Broadcaster, Actress, Voice Talent, Speaker, and Author (Ben Behind his Voices, Happier Made Simple)

Miriam Feldman -  is an artist, writer, and the mother of an adult son with schizophrenia. Her book, He Came in With It chronicles her family's story and was released to rave reviews on July 21st, 2020.

Mindy Greiling - Mindy Greiling was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for twenty years. She helped found the nation's first state mental health caucus, which successfully lobbied for a significant increase in Minnesota's mental health funding Her acclaimed memoir is Fix What You Can.

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Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman