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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Megan Kirk, Team Leader of CASES Nathaniel Assertive Community Treatment, on Alternative to Incarceration Programs
9:09:45
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Megan Kirk, representing CASES and the ATI Reentry Coalition, testified on the importance of alternative to incarceration programs, particularly the Nathaniel Assertive Community Treatment program. She emphasized the effectiveness of supporting individuals in the community rather than jailing them and called for increased funding for these programs.
- Described Nathaniel as the nation's first and one of only two alternative to incarceration assertive community treatment teams
- Highlighted the program's holistic approach, including psychiatric care, nursing, peer support, and housing assistance
- Shared an anonymized case study of a client named Alfred who successfully graduated from mental health court after receiving support from the program
Megan Kirk
9:09:45
Good evening chair salaam and members thank you for hearing me today.
9:09:49
My name is Megan Kirk, I'm team leader of CASES Nathaniel Assertive Community Treatment, member of the ATI Reentry Coalition.
9:10:00
At cases, we know that New York City's most pressing safety problems are solved best by supporting people not jailing them, and our programs do what jails cannot.
9:10:11
We provide our clients opportunities to recover, reintegrate, and succeed in their communities.
9:10:21
The budget is an opportunity to invest in that vision, however the proposed cuts would compromise the city's safety and we join with the call.
9:10:32
I was heartened to hear so much support throughout today's testimony for investment in mental health, alternative to incarceration, and the programs we here today provide.
9:10:44
So I'd like to share with you about assertive community treatment as Nathaniel is the nation's first and now only one of two alternative to incarceration or detention assertive community treatment teams.
9:10:56
We are a long time evidence based, cost effective, intensive, holistic, multidisciplinary community approach to providing services for people who have serious mental illness, who have demonstrably not been served by more traditional treatments.
9:11:11
This includes psychiatric care, nursing care, peer support, and because of mock J and city council funding, we are also able to provide holistic housing support, substance use support to provide the services that our clients need.
9:11:28
I would like to share about one such anonymized client today who might live in one of your districts.
9:11:35
His name is Alfred, he is a black man in his 40s.
9:11:38
He has experienced intense persecutory delusions and paranoia for as long as he can remember.
9:11:44
He experiences command hallucinations, which means that he hears voices telling him to do certain things.
9:11:53
He was referred to us after a high profile felony arrest, after he had been released but it was identified he was not doing well with that clinic referral he had been given on discharge.
9:12:06
After we built rapport with Alfred, we were able to identify a medication regimen that served him.
9:12:12
Over time, he was able to gain employment, develop community connections as he has no family support, and today he's doing well after graduating from mental health court in the fall.
9:12:24
We join the request to enhance the funding for people we serve.
9:12:30
Thank you.