Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Makes a Mental Health and Public Safety Budget Announcement

Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Makes a Mental Health and Public Safety Budget Announcement

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced an investment of more than $33 million in the State's FY 2025 Enacted Budget to expand mental health services for individuals who are living with mental illness and involved in the criminal justice system. During a visit to the Midtown Community Justice Center in Manhattan, the Governor discussed how this funding will help ensure those individuals with a history of mental health treatment, lack of engagement in treatment, or other mental health concerns can connect with necessary services and supports, and experience better outcomes.

VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.

AUDIO of the Governor's remarks available here.

PHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor's Flickr page.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

I'm so honored to be here this morning. Just took a tour of former cells, holding centers that are now going to be turned into rooms of healing where we can address people and help them get on a healthy path toward recovery.

As I travel across the state, and particularly here in the city, I talk to people wherever I go. I was finally liberated out of Albany after a few months of captivity as we worked on the Budget. My Assemblymembers know what I'm talking about. And I came out and I had a chance to go meet small bodega owners to talk about what we did on retail theft. We met some people in bodegas telling them that we're finally going to eliminate the unfair competition from all the illegal practices. We went to the CUNY School for Public Health and talked about our investments in maternal and infant mortality, trying to keep people alive. And in the process, just walked along the streets talking to people.

And there is a lot of anxiety out there, a lot of unease in the city and cities all across New York. And as the Governor, working with the legislators, it's our responsibility to find out what's going on. What is driving that? What is creating that sense of insecurity for people when they are walking on the streets, going out for a cup of coffee, pushing a baby stroller and getting on our subways? So, I want to know what's keeping people up at night. I asked them. I know I have a good sense of this. I'm a mom too, I know what it's like when your children leave your watchful eyes as they get older, and you pray that they make it okay to school on a subway or walking to the playground.

And as I'm seeing more people on the streets and subways, they are also concerned about the number of people who have untreated mental illness. They are there, there's a little bit of - there's a lot of uncertainty. Is this going to be just a passing on the street? Or is this going to result in something where you are harmed, or worst of all, a family member is harmed? So, people are anxious about becoming the next victim of a random crime because you're seeing these stories splashed all over the news. And while your chances may be very slim, it's still that sense that it's out there, and I could be next. And you could just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But at the same time, New Yorkers are compassionate. They see fellow New Yorkers, fellow human beings, in the throes of their own crisis. They are suffering. They fall into the cracks. Perhaps there were signs where they are much younger, and no one did anything about it.

And we don't want to see people locked up as the solution. That is not what's going to stop what is happening out there on the streets. So, we want them to get the help they need, get the stability, get the path toward a healthy life.

And I'm really proud to say that we have a whole range of holistic investments as a result of our Budget. We didn't just start it this year. We started years ago, calling out what mental health is all about, removing the stigma for people who want to get care. But also, making sure we are safe.

And I want to acknowledge the individuals who joined me in this quest here today and putting a spotlight on what is happening in this very building. Our Chief Judge of the Court Appeals, Rowan Wilson. Fairly new to the job, but he has already put his imprint on the court system. Not just the Court of Appeals where he sits, but when he travels the state and oversees the entire court system, he has made it truly the people's court. Not those shows you watch on television. He takes this very seriously. But it's driven by what is good for the people of the state. And that's what I wanted in a Chief Judge, and I found it. I want to give him a round of applause for his leadership.

Dr. Ann Sullivan, our Commissioner, OMH. Again, traveled the state as much as I have, that's saying a lot. Bringing to us ideas from what she sees out there, talks people in the field, in the courts, in the criminal justice system, the practitioners, people in the public health space, trying to bring us ideas on how we can do things better.

This is New York. When there's a problem, we take it to the next level. And I appreciate your leadership and never giving up the fight to make sure that every New Yorker has a healthy outcome. Let's give a round of applause, Ann Sullivan.

Jethro Antoine, the Chief Program Officer of Court Reform at the Center for Justice Innovation. That's a long title, but it's an important one. And these are people literally on the ground, the boots on the ground for this fight to ensure that everyone has a fair shot in the criminal justice system.

But perhaps we can get to a point where we're at one and done. You have that one encounter, particularly a younger person. People look at you as a human being, not just a number. And you're getting the care, the treatment, the analysis of your situation that then could put you on a path of no return. That's what we're looking for: people to be on a path of no return to the criminal justice system, but return to a welcoming world that embraces them and their need for help, and gets them what they need. So, thank you. Let's give him a round of applause.

John McLean, CEO of CASES. The people out here that will be talking about how we're funding programs that are going to be expanded. And I thank him for being the steward of our dollars very carefully, but making sure they're getting where they need to go.

Also, I don't do this alone. I need partners in our Legislature. I will tell you that Speaker Carl Heastie brought the issue of Mental Health Courts and why not find ways to expand them? And the second he said it, I said, "You're right. We can do more here. So, I thank Speaker Carl Heastie, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for supporting this as well. And also, the Assemblymembers who have joined us here today. I want them to have a round of applause. Monique Chandler-Waterman and Tony Simone.

Tony represents here with Senator Brad Hoylman and Monique Chandler-Waterman shares a mental health task force. So, this is deeply personal to her as well. So, I want to thank them and our host, the Center for Justice Innovation.

We just had a tour, as I mentioned, the Midtown Community Justice Center. It's not real glamorous, not the fanciest place I've ever seen. And we walked past these holding cells that are no longer in use. Now, first of all, I take that as a good sign. I'm really glad they're not overflowing. That is a good sign to me, right? But what are they going to be used for? These empty cells are just basically storage areas. They're going to be converted into healing rooms. Holding center rooms into healing rooms. That sounds incredible to me.

A little bit of work to do, we have to help you out with that, but when I come back again, this would be extraordinary. To say that we can make this literally a mental transition from the original purpose, why they were built to hold people captive, to putting them in a room where they can be free; made free from the demons that torment them. That's what this is all about, my friends. So, the staff here works tirelessly to keep people with serious mental illness out of the justice system, and those who are already in the system on a path toward reentry in their communities.

Because we know, all too often, there are too many people with unmet mental health needs who find themselves in our criminal justice system. One third. One third. That's a very high number of people that find themselves in our criminal justice system with serious mental illness and the system that's meant to rehabilitate, not to treat. It was never set up as a treatment facility, but for too many people, it's the only place they're getting any care.

Rikers is one of our largest psychiatric centers - when you want to look at it that way. They're treating people, but the volume, the scale is just too much. And here we are in a misdemeanor court, trying to help people before they get to being in a felony situation, and escalating and incarceration. And these courts are not equipped to handle individual's needs, nor should they really be expected to. That was not the original purpose until now.

How did this all happen? There's a little history here, it's long and sordid: the deinstitutionalization of people back in the sixties and seventies - I was a young person, there was an institution in my community, my parents were part of a group of individuals who stepped forward to help people transition. We literally brought - when I was a teenager - we brought other teenagers into our home.

We had a crowded house, eight of us living in a small home, but my parents always found room for a few more. And then we brought in people like Roger and Melanie - I'll never forget them. They had challenges. And we're not used to being integrated into societies. So, I literally took them shopping.

Told them, this is how you go to a store by yourself, this is what you pay for. It was fascinating. People had spent their lives in institutions, but it was unfair because they'd received treatment, not in ideal circumstances. But then it was, okay, the alternative is, we'll put you out on the streets. You're on the streets, you're on your own, good luck.

That was an epic failure that led to a crisis in people being unsheltered for decades. People turned to crime, they cycle back in, and the story repeats itself. People don't escape. So, we want to make sure that we address what's going on here

Instead of having the revolving door - untreated mental illness can fuel recidivism, we know that. Incarceration can worsen mental health, we know that. And in too many cases, the cycle goes on and on. So, we see the consequences, but I said, "No, I've seen enough. We need to start making some real changes here."

So, we've already increased mental health funding at the state level, an increase of 33 percent, $1 billion, as I've mentioned last year alone to expand outpatient community services, create thousands of housing units. We have these SOS teams that identify people in the subways, go down there, talk to them, try to understand why they're there.

We already have successfully housed 330 individuals who have been long-term - well over a year, sometimes 5, 10 years - living on the streets. Who never trusted anybody until we sent people good, kind people - I've met them - to show them another path.

Also increasing inpatient psychiatric capability. When someone really needs help, when you take them to the hospital and there's no room, the system has failed. They're back out on the street. Who knows what will happen next? We made sure that was increased and measures to help our children in school, which we'll be talking about at another event.

So, let's talk about what we did in this Budget. Now we're focusing on people with mental illness in the criminal justice system. That's what today is all about. Proud to say that our Budget invests over $33 million to do just that. It would expand the mental health courts, like the Manhattan Misdemeanor Mental Health Court, where we're standing right now. We got that done. Thank you to the Legislature. Thank you to my partners.

We're investing $9.3 million in these facilities to connect New Yorkers with mental health needs in a variety of services. This is an alternative to a traditional prosecution for low level charges, this positive approach leads to better outcomes, reduces the justice system involvement and makes New York safer.

And also, we'd like to expand the number of Assertive Community Treatment teams, ACT teams, like the ones that are run right here by cases, as I mentioned earlier. We got that done. We're investing over $14 million so these teams can provide intensive behavioral health services while addressing the risk associated with arrest and recidivism.

And I also said we'd empower court based mental health navigators. What's that? It's a person who knows how to navigate. We're not talking about on your cell phone. We're talking about real people can do this too. People with lived experiences, relate, culturally competent, been through the system, know what they're talking about, who can help facilitate greater trust and engagement. We got that done as well with an investment of over $8 million. As I mentioned, we said we'd fund more specialized housing. That's what we're doing as well.

These are all ways between our $4 million for more transitional housing to help people who have long term disabilities, coordinating with law enforcement, helping them understand the signs. When they respond to a 911 call, what are they seeing when they get there? How do they respond appropriately?

So, all this are pieces of the puzzle. You don't see the completed picture right now. But all I know is that every person who comes through this system, who has committed an offense against society, but who has a mental health problem - if we can address the mental health problem, deal with rehabilitation and send them forth with a new purpose in life, that they're being treated, that they're being cared for, then we want to say goodbye. Nice to say, hello, don't want to see you again.

And that's what this is about. This is what it's about. So, we talked about public safety, the larger population. This is how we start to dial it all back. The people know that they can walk the streets safely. They don't have to worry about their children. They don't have to worry about going on the subways. That anxiety, unease, which has permeated our society for too long, can start to evaporate and people can feel more lighthearted again, less worried about things. And that's what I'm striving for.

By enhancing mental health supports, we're not just helping people find stability and peace, we're making our community safer. And as I've said, public safety is my number one priority, and I won't rest until every New Yorker feels safe walking down the street using our transit system or going about their daily lives. And it starts in places like this. Thank you.

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