Eric Adams is creating yet another silkscreen, and this time targeting the homeless population
Mayor Eric Adams is pulling an “Eric Adams” and not addressing the root of the NYC homelessness crisis. Instead he is implementing police forces to target homeless people and overloading the mental healthcare system even more than it already is. Police officers are not trained to diagnose mental illness. We need mental health workers on the field to determine whether or not an involuntary hospitalization would be beneficial to each individual person.
According to The New York Times:
The city’s new directive on the policy acknowledges that “case law does not provide extensive guidance regarding removals for mental health evaluations based on short interactions in the field.”
While Adams’ plan may sound good at first glance, it allows police to detain homeless people regardless if they are currently posing a “threat” to themselves or others. Though, The New York Times subtitle states, Adams ordered forces “to take people who appear mentally ill and seem likely to harm others to hospitals for psychiatric care.” The subtitle implies that Adams is more concerned about the rest of the people, not the homeless population.
This new action will instigate escalation that can only work against the person being detained, such as violent altercations that lead to involuntary hospitalization or arrest with bail that the detainee would be unable to pay.
Adams claims that hospitals will hold homeless patients under involuntary hospitalization until they are stable and have set up ongoing care. Sir, what makes you think homeless patients are able to afford ongoing medical care? Many people with full-time jobs still cannot afford mental health care!
These detained patients will be sent back into homelessness with an upcoming therapy appointment they may not go to because of the lack of desire to do so, distrust in the system, or the severe costs of mental health care in the city. Adams makes no comment as to providing patients with a home or temporary shelter. Maybe they’ll get an “I’ve been fixed!” sticker.
The Coalition for the Homeless indicates 60,252 homeless individuals slept in a NYC municipal shelter location in September 2022. The number of unhoused people is unclear. Though, according to The Coalition for the Homeless, “From May 2020 to January 2022, 9,231 unique individuals accepted offers of transportation to various types of shelters and drop-in centers during end-of-line subway outreach.” Because this data only looks at those who accepted services at the end of the subway line at specific times, it is unknown as to the number of unhoused individuals who rejected services or took to other areas for rest, skyrocketing that number well above 10,000.
The next question I have is how 10,000 unhoused individuals (very conservative estimate) will fit into the number of psychiatric beds in city hospitals, even if 50 more added by the state. Where will the overflow go?
Jails and the street. There is simply not enough room for current patients and involuntary hospitalizations until a person is “stable.” Stable in what way? Mentally? Financially? Emotionally? These all blend into each other to create stability. Forcing people to address their mental health and provide themselves mental health care when they have no money will not put a roof over their heads, assist them with applying to jobs where they can grow, or stop them from agonizing over where they will find their next meal. In order to take care of a person’s sense of security, they need a viable way of meeting their basic needs. An unnecessary involuntary hospitalization by police risks further traumatizing patients and forcing patients to falsely admit medical information. There is already a distrust in the system. Why further that gap instead of targeting basic needs, including mental health?
Rather than helping to pay for medical care and a way out of homelessness, this new policy will negatively affect an already overrun healthcare system, make it even more difficult for other people seeking psychiatric hospitalization, and increase incarceration of innocent homeless individuals. This is just a silkscreen to decrease the appearance and number of homeless people on the streets by sticking them in hospitals, regardless of their actual mental health status, personal circumstance, ability to pay for medical care, or their patient right to decline medical care.
Mental health is so personal. There is no blanket set of rules for how our lives shape us or how we process trauma and circumstances. Yes, we all deserve to feel strong mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And yes, the homeless are a very vulnerable population that require attention and immediate action. But forced mental health care that could spiral people into debt rather than into a home is an inappropriate way to handle the homelessness crisis. Let’s not forget that people have rights and should not be detained and forced to accept treatment they do not agree with or understand. If Eric Adams wishes to address this crisis, start by:
- Opening more shelters
- Creating more access to food banks
- Funding outreach teams
- Decreasing citywide rent
- Providing job opportunities to the homeless population
- Implementing mental health professionals in the field
- Making mental health support free for the homeless population
- Supplementing that support with a social work team that will assist homeless individuals to find housing and adequately paid work
- Expanding the criteria for unemployment benefits, SNAP benefits, and other government financial aid
- Circling back to prior clients to ensure they are successfully integrating back into that NYC hustle and bustle
Literally anything else but unconstitutional detainment of a very vulnerable population.
New York City Organizations for the Homeless
Please donate if you can.
The Bowery Mission (takes lots of items)
Ali Forney Center (LGBTQIA+)
References
Basic facts about homelessness: New York City. (2022, November). Coalition for the Homeless. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/basic-facts-about-homelessness-new-york-city/
How many total people are homeless in NYC? (2022). Coalition for the Homeless. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/facts-about-homelessness-dynamic/how-many-total-people-are-homeless-in-nyc/
Newman, A. & Fitzsimmons, E. G. (2002). New York City will hospitalize more mentally ill people involuntarily. The New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/29/nyregion/nyc-mentally-ill-involuntary-custody.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20221129&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta®i_id=110886601&segment_id=114489&user_id=954498b3dc0986cf81c7e5ac8ab1ed3e
