Among the many questions and concerns prompted by Mayor Eric Adams’ directive to hospitalize people who appear unable to meet their basic needs because of untreated mental illness: What would happen to them once they were brought to the hospital and evaluated? New NYC Health + Hospitals data, which was obtained by the New York Civil Liberties Union and shared exclusively with POLITICO, finally shed some light. The data indicates 38 people have been brought involuntarily to public hospitals by law enforcement or outreach workers since Adams announced the directive this past November. Most of them were admitted after receiving a psychiatric evaluation, although 12 were admitted only for medical needs and not for mental health concerns. Of the 31 people who were admitted to hospitals, the majority were discharged to homeless shelters or smaller and less restrictive “Safe Haven” shelters. Seven of them were instead discharged to the state-run Manhattan Psychiatric Center’s new transitional housing unit, which was launched last year by Gov. Kathy Hochul. As far as continuing care, the patients who were admitted were largely referred to street outreach teams, whose primary mission is to connect homeless New Yorkers to shelter and services. But seven patients were also referred to the city-funded intensive mobile treatment program, which often serves people who are homeless and suffering from severe mental health issues, substance use or both. The program, while promising, has limited capacity and is administered by nonprofits that struggle with limited funding and staffing shortages. The data underscores hospitals’ reliance on the same few options to provide continuing support to patients once they are discharged, in the eyes of Beth Haroules, NYCLU’s director of disability justice litigation. “The discharge planning is a joke,” she told POLITICO in an interview. The city has yet to release data on the people caught up in Adams’ directive and their outcomes, which would provide more insight into how the directive is being implemented. It is unclear how many of the 38 people sent to public hospitals were taken there due to an inability to meet their basic needs — the expanded criteria laid out in Adams’ directive. A Health + Hospitals representative said the health system does not specifically track that. But city officials maintain that they are building out an interagency infrastructure for reporting numbers related to Adams’ directive. IN OTHER NEWS: — Nearly 300 resident physicians at Flushing Hospital and Jamaica Hospital in Queens called off plans for a five-day strike starting this morning after reaching a midnight deal with their employer, MediSys Health Network. The tentative contract agreement includes an 18 percent wage increase over three years and limits on patient loads and non-physician tasks, such as clerical duties. — The state issued its last news release Friday on Covid-19 cases and vaccination rates. The data will continue to be available on the state Department of Health's online tracker, but dashboards tracking Covid breakthrough data, regional vaccination data and pop-up vaccination data will go offline as of this week. ON THE AGENDA THIS WEEK: — Today at 11:45 a.m. The City Council hosts the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for an executive budget hearing. — Tuesday at 10 a.m. The City Council hosts NYC Health + Hospitals for an executive budget hearing. — Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. The New York State Assembly Committee on Health meets. — Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. The New York State Assembly Committee on Mental Health meets. — Tuesday at 6 p.m. NYC Health + Hospitals hosts its annual Bronx public meeting at Jacobi Medical Center. — Thursday at 9 a.m. The state’s Drug Utilization Review Board meets. GOT TIPS? Send story ideas and feedback to Maya Kaufman at mkaufman@politico.com. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories.
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