Far too many people come into contact with the legal system due to underlying mental health needs. Traditional responses within our justice system often leave these issues unaddressed.
Far too many people come into contact with the legal system due to underlying mental health needs. Traditional responses within our justice system often leave these issues unaddressed.
We work within the legal system and in the community to address underlying mental health challenges as early as possible. Connecting people to long-overdue care is a through line in our work to break the cycle of justice involvement, cultivate lasting safety, and help communities thrive.
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people have graduated from our Brooklyn Mental Health Court as of 2023
290
cases have received supportive, alternative programming in misdemeanor mental health courts in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
$33 Million Investment in Mental Health
In April, New York Governor Kathy Hochul visited our Midtown Community Justice Center to announce a $33 million investment in mental health support for people involved in the criminal legal system. The investment will support more programs like the Misdemeanor Mental Health Court we help run in Manhattan, which fosters lasting safety by linking people in the legal system to services and care in their communities.
Ibrahim Ayu is a former participant of the Misdemeanor Mental Health Court who spoke with CBS News New York about his experience with our Midtown Community Justice Center. Here he is with social worker Mel Hodor holding his new lease and his book. He’d been homeless for over five years and finally moved into his own apartment!
Prioritizing Mental Health Support
Connecting people with mental health needs to meaningful support is vital throughout our legal system and in the broader community, not only in specialized courts. Ensuring communities have access to the tools and resources they need to address mental health needs even before people come into contact with the legal system is key to strengthening the health and safety of neighborhoods.
Programs like our Youth Impact, Red Hook Community Justice Center, and Queens Community Justice Center offer supportive groups and counseling for people who need these services, reducing the likelihood of being caught up in the justice system.
In the Courts
Our court-based programs, like the Red Hook Community Justice Center and Bronx Community Solutions, assess the needs of people facing charges and offer mental health services to those who can benefit.
In partnership with the New York County Supreme Court, our Manhattan Justice Opportunities team creates individualized treatment plans to connect people with felony charges to mental health services, job training, substance use treatment, and a range of other services.
Across the United States
We supported Los Angeles County with implementing its Rapid Diversion Program, which offers meaningful pathways out of the legal system for people struggling with mental health challenges.
Works directly with children and families, as well as with systems, to reduce and prevent system involvement, strengthen family relationships and interrupt intergenerational cycles of trauma.
Breaking the Cycle: Prioritizing Mental Health Needs in the Courtroom
Many people with mental health challenges wind up in the criminal legal system because they have virtually nowhere else to go. Take a look inside the special court program in Manhattan working to change that.
This Outreach Team Provides Care Before People Face Crisis
Nobody should have to be arrested in order to get help. That’s why our street outreach team in Syracuse is meeting people where they are—and expanding what care looks like.
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