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Meng Helps Introduce Legislation to Create Mental Health First Responder Units

April 8, 2021

Measure would help reduce violence against those with mental illness and disabilities

QUEENS, NY – Today, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) announced that she helped introduce the Mental Health Justice Act (H.R. 1368), a bill that seeks to create a grant program for states and localities to hire, train, and maintain mental health first responders who would be deployed to assist individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

"Helping people with mental illness or a disability requires a new approach, especially if these individuals are in distress," said Meng. "Instead of relying on law enforcement, we need a new cadre of health professionals to assist those experiencing a mental health crisis, and this legislation would help accomplish that goal by creating an alternative approach to how we respond to these types of situations. This necessary measure would help reduce fatalities for those suffering from a mental health crisis and ensure that they get the treatment they need. I am proud to support the Mental Health Justice Act and look forward to it becoming law."

Meng noted that one in four fatal police encounters ends the life of an individual with severe mental illness. For individuals with untreated mental illness, the risk of being killed is 16 times greater for them than for others who are approached or stopped by law enforcement.

The Mental Health Justice Act, which is sponsored by Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA), is pending before the House Judiciary Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

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