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Q&A
Council Member Lee inquires about mental health and veterans' treatment courts
3:14:58
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85 sec
Council Member Linda Lee asks about the status and funding of mental health and veterans' treatment courts. The DOHMH Commissioner clarifies the department's role in these courts.
- Treatment courts are designed to divert individuals from incarceration to treatment
- Council Member Lee expresses concern about understaffing and underfunding of these courts
- DOHMH does not have jurisdiction over the treatment courts
Linda Lee
3:14:58
Okay, and just want to make sure that in terms of the treatment courts, whether it's for veterans or just overall mental health treatment courts, I know that you all are involved in that so I just want to make sure how that is in terms of the staffing because it seems like those are much more underfunded and I just want to is that in partnership with you and H and H?
Michelle Morse
3:15:26
I am not familiar with exactly what program you're referencing when you're talking about the treatment courts.
Linda Lee
3:15:32
So if someone is going to let's just say have committed a crime, they're in the queue to go to Rikers, there should be some sort of assessment that's done where if they come before a judge, there should be something in place in the treatment courts where it'll either have those folks go towards treatment versus having to go to Rikers, let's just say.
3:16:01
So from my understanding it seems like the treatment courts are severely understaffed and underfunded and I just wanted to see, and I know that veterans also have a separate treatment court, so I just wanted to know the status on the staffing for those and what the budget is for that as well.
Michelle Morse
3:16:15
We don't have jurisdiction over the treatment courts that's separate from us and the New York City Health Department.
Linda Lee
3:16:22
Okay, thank you.