1. Strengthening Assisted Outpatient Treatment
Background
Mental Hygiene Law § 9.60, commonly known as Kendra’s Law, authorizes Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) for individuals with serious mental illness. Peer-reviewed research indicates that AOT reduces hospitalization and repeat crisis events when adequately resourced.² Oversight reviews, including reports from the NYS Office of the State Comptroller, have identified variability in reporting, timeliness, and service capacity across jurisdictions.³ In high-density districts such as Lower Manhattan, repeat mental health crises disproportionately affect public space usage, emergency services, and community stability.
Legislative Reform
Amend Mental Hygiene Law § 9.60 to:
Establish statutory investigation timelines
Require certification of outpatient service capacity prior to court orders
Mandate quarterly public reporting on referrals and outcomes
Expand funding for Assertive Community Treatment teams serving Manhattan
District Impact
Strengthened early intervention reduces repeat emergency responses, improves treatment continuity, and enhances public safety outcomes in dense urban corridors.
2. Prevention-Based Public Safety Coordination
Background
High-foot-traffic neighborhoods in Assembly District 66 experience recurring low-level incidents and crisis interactions. Evidence-based violence interruption programs and clinician-first co-response models have demonstrated reductions in repeat emergency engagement.⁴ State funding streams already support violence prevention and mental health programming, but coordination and transparency vary.
Legislative Reform
Adopt legislation to:
Expand state funding for evidence-based violence interruption programs in Manhattan
Support clinician-first co-response pilots
Mandate public reporting on repeat incident locations and response times
Strengthen coordination between mental health and public safety agencies
District Impact
Prevention-based safety infrastructure reduces repeat incidents and enhances coordination in Lower Manhattan’s dense public environments.