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PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Testimony by Jim Bohovich, Steering Committee Member of Correct Crisis Intervention Today NYC (CCIT-NYC)

4:07:02

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129 sec

Jim Bohovich, a peer specialist with personal experience of mental health issues, provided testimony on de-escalation techniques and the importance of peer support in mental health crisis response. He emphasized the critical role of listening and maintaining a calm demeanor in de-escalation efforts.

Bohovich highlighted his extensive experience in various mental health settings, including mobile crisis teams and inpatient units.
He offered to volunteer his data analysis skills to help with the B-HEARD program evaluation.
Bohovich stressed the pervasiveness of mental health crises in New York City and the value of peer specialists in providing hope and support.

Jim Bohovich

4:07:02

Good afternoon, Council members and chairs.

4:07:05

Thanks for allowing me the privilege to speak today.

4:07:08

My name is Jim Bahovitch.

4:07:09

I've been a peer specialist for 10 years.

4:07:12

I've had bipolar disorder and PTSD for 30 plus years.

4:07:16

I currently work on an IMT team at Community Access.

4:07:19

I'm a steering committee member for CCIT.

4:07:23

I've worked on an inpatient unit at Kings County Hospital.

4:07:26

I've worked in Kansas and Cleveland, Ohio on mobile crisis teams and doing community work.

4:07:31

I just wanted to talk about a few things that I heard today.

4:07:35

People seem to have questions about what deescalation is and what techniques are.

4:07:40

Doing de escalation is all about having it's like a skill, it's an art, and it's having a positive attitude.

4:07:48

You try to be an opening, accepting person, and you're calm, you're collected, you're chill, even And the most important skill is absolutely listening.

4:07:58

You just listen, listen, listen.

4:08:01

Once you get the person talking about what they're going through, the de escalation will will begin.

4:08:07

They'll start to feel more calm.

4:08:08

They'll talk about what their issues are, they're letting out their emotions, and that's how de escalation works.

4:08:14

As pure specialists, we try to provide hope.

4:08:18

That is difficult to explain into few minutes like how that works, but it's a real part of what we do.

4:08:25

Deescalation techniques.

4:08:26

You also follow your gut instinct, see where the person is, and follow their lead.

4:08:32

Just to be clear, motivational interviewing is not a deescalation technique.

4:08:38

And also, mental health crisis is incredibly massive and pervasive in America and especially here in New York City.

4:08:49

Charlie, I would like to volunteer to help you with data analysis, pro bono.

4:08:56

One of the things that peers do is we try to get people in different situations to talk about different things.

4:09:01

Last week, a co lunch with the participant of ours, and the conversation was incredible.

4:09:07

And, yeah, if you have any questions about my experiences, please let me know.

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Testimony by Jonathan Chung, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI NYC), on B-HEARD Program and Mental Health Crisis Response

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Testimony by Joelle Ballam-Schwan, Associate Director of Engagement and Communications at Supportive Housing Network of New York