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Q&A
Cost of psychiatric beds for serious mental illness
0:50:13
·
88 sec
Council Member Narcisse inquires about the cost of psychiatric beds for individuals with serious mental illness, comparing it to the cost of incarceration. Jonathan Lippman provides insights on the potential cost-effectiveness of medical treatment over incarceration.
- Lippman suggests that medical help, including psychiatric beds, would likely be less expensive than incarceration.
- While exact figures are not provided, Lippman expresses confidence that even for the most serious cases, psychiatric treatment would be more cost-effective.
- Narcisse emphasizes the need for smart spending and expresses her concern for people with mental health issues in Rikers.
- The discussion concludes with a suggestion to follow up with a detailed cost comparison study.
Mercedes Narcisse
0:50:13
Do you think that for psychiatry bed that we're talking about, for most serious folks that have mental serious illness.
0:50:21
I don't know how much you think approximately for a bed.
0:50:25
Did you do that research to see how much it will cost to even for the person, like say for a serious mental illness?
Jonathan Lippman
0:50:31
How much does it cost as opposed to incarcerating Yes.
0:50:36
I don't know exactly, Zach, have we done any studies?
0:50:39
I can't believe that medical help is gonna be more expensive.
0:50:45
It's gonna be less expensive.
0:50:47
How much less, you know, depends on the particular situation.
0:50:51
But certainly, the most efficient economically is not to throw people in an incarcerated situation with all of the inefficiencies that go with it rather than putting them in a place where they get a psychiatric bed that helps them to get healthy.
0:51:09
So it will be decidedly less exactly what, you know, the amount.
0:51:14
We'd have to do some studying on that.
Mercedes Narcisse
0:51:16
So even the most serious one, I can assume that would Even
Jonathan Lippman
0:51:19
the most serious one would be cheaper in my views.
0:51:22
I don't think there's any doubt about it.
Mercedes Narcisse
0:51:23
So we have to be smart with spending.
0:51:25
So I want to say thank you, yeah, thank you chair.
0:51:29
I appreciate it.
0:51:29
You know how I feel about people that have mental health in Rikers, so thank you.
Sandy Nurse
0:51:34
Then we can follow-up and try to do a cost comparison.
0:51:38
Councilmember Kaban and then Marte.