To: Ydanis Rodriguez, NYC Council - District 10, The New York State House, The New York State Senate, and Governor Andrew Cuomo
Hire Licensed Social Workers in NYPD
Hire licensed social workers in every NYPD precinct in order to practice best preventative care which will reduce conflict between NYPD and the community, incarceration rates and involvement in child welfare.
Why is this important?
Mental health professionals are better suited in dealing with mental health crisis than NYPD officers who have limited training and understanding of mental health illnesses. As such, this petition is demanding that the NYPD hires mental health professionals specifically, licensed social workers, to help them deescalate situations involving people with mental health illnesses.
If you're having cardiovascular trouble, you're not going to call your dentist. Because it doesn't make sense. Similarly, people in mental health crisis shouldn't have to be attended by people who aren't qualified to understand their needs.
Because NYPD has not had such support, it has led to injury and death of people with mental health illness. The best preventative measure will be to hire licensed social workers to assist the NYPD officers in deescalating situations and protecting the rights and the lives of people with mental health illnesses. By practicing better preventative care, this will result in less conflict between NYPD and the community, less incarceration rates and less involvement in child welfare.
If you're having cardiovascular trouble, you're not going to call your dentist. Because it doesn't make sense. Similarly, people in mental health crisis shouldn't have to be attended by people who aren't qualified to understand their needs.
Because NYPD has not had such support, it has led to injury and death of people with mental health illness. The best preventative measure will be to hire licensed social workers to assist the NYPD officers in deescalating situations and protecting the rights and the lives of people with mental health illnesses. By practicing better preventative care, this will result in less conflict between NYPD and the community, less incarceration rates and less involvement in child welfare.