Southern Tier Independence Center (STIC) strongly opposes the expansion of involuntary mental health treatment in New York State. Instead, we advocate for a mental health system that prioritizes voluntary, peer-led, community-based support over coercive interventions.
Recent legislative proposals seek to broaden the criteria for involuntary psychiatric commitments and forced outpatient treatment. While proponents claim these measures enhance public safety, evidence suggests they increase trauma, worsen health outcomes, and impose higher costs on the state. Rather than expanding restrictive interventions, resources should be directed toward strengthening voluntary, community-based mental health programs that address the root causes of crises.
Expanding involuntary commitments undermines individual rights and disproportionately affects marginalized populations, particularly people of color and individuals experiencing poverty. This reflects a systemic failure to support those most in need. Coercive interventions fail to address critical factors such as housing instability, food insecurity, substance use, and inadequate access to health and mental health care.
New York must address critical gaps in the community-based mental health system. The Olmstead decision mandates that people with disabilities, including those with mental illnesses, receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs—reinforcing the necessity of strengthening community-based care. Furthermore, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) has already acknowledged that "at present, there is not provider sufficiency" in community-based behavioral health services. This underscores the urgent need to invest in voluntary, effective interventions rather than involuntary alternatives.
To create a more effective and person centered mental health system, New York State must take the following steps:
· Reject policies that expand involuntary commitments and instead prioritize voluntary, community-based solutions that promote dignity, autonomy, and long-term stability. Funding in the SFY 2025-26 NYS Budget must be restricted solely to enhance voluntary service packages, and not to the expansion of involuntary treatment.
· Implement Incident Review Panels to analyze systemic failures and improve future crisis responses, ensuring better outcomes for individuals in mental health emergencies. Incident review panels are currently authorized by Mental Hygiene Law § 31.37, but have never been implemented.
· Increase funding for housing initiatives by strengthening the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI) and expanding Housing First programs, providing individuals with a stable foundation for recovery and independence.
o Enhance the base ESSHI rate to $34,000 per year, as the Governor’s proposed enhancement is insufficient.
o Expand Housing First programs by adding 750 more Housing First units statewide.
· Fund eight INSET teams in regions that currently do not offer this pivotal service, at an annual cost of $4 million. These peer-to-peer, person-centered outreach and engagement teams have proven highly effective in connecting with individuals experiencing severe mental illness. Notably, nearly half of those served by INSET teams are or have been homeless.
· Fund seven Peer Bridger teams at an annual cost of $3 million. Since 1994, Peer Bridgers have helped thousands of individuals to successfully transition from state hospitals to the community. Peer Bridger teams should be routinely offered as a part of successful hospital discharge plans that prevent high numbers of avoidable relapses and repeat readmissions.
· Expand Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Forensic ACT to improve access to intensive, evidence-based community services, reducing hospitalization and incarceration rates for individuals with serious mental illness.
· Support mental health clinicians and providers by implementing a 7.8% inflation adjustment to address staffing shortages and improve overall service delivery, ensuring individuals receive timely and effective supports and services.
Expanding voluntary services is the only path to a more just and effective mental health system that truly meets the needs of New Yorkers. We urge legislative action to prioritize sustainable Mental health investments and reject ineffective, coercive interventions that harm rather than heal.