JTI Hosts: The New York State Judicial Task Force on Mental Illness (NYS JTFMI): Intersection between Homelessness, Justice, and Behavioral Health

People with behavioral health needs often do not receive the appropriate level of care that they need for a variety of reasons. When untreated or under-treated, this can lead to a cycle of homelessness and repeated contacts with the justice system—which then leads to lower chances of these individuals receiving the proper assistance.

This webinar, co-hosted by the NYC Justice Training Institute and the New York State Judicial Taskforce on Mental Illness, will discuss the specific needs of this population and how cross-sector collaboration is necessary to address them. Participants will learn trauma-informed engagement strategies, and how to best support clients in their reentry journey.

The New York State Judicial Task Force on Mental Illness (NYS JTFMI) seeks to ensure that individuals with mental illness and related conditions are treated fairly and compassionately in all aspects of New York’s court system, including criminal, civil and family courts by recommending improvements to court practices, developing policy proposals and promoting collaboration of the judiciary with its willing and committed partners within and outside of government. The Task Force recognizes that mental illness is not a crime and court involvement is often the result of a lack of appropriate support.

Presenters:

Ruth O’ Sullivan is a Licensed clinical social worker who has been supporting diversion initiatives since 2000. She is currently the Senior Director of Clinical Practice at the Center for Justice Innovation where she leads clinical, direct, and social service practice across the organization. Prior to this, she was the Project/Clinical Director of Brooklyn Mental Health Court for 9 years. BMHC was developed to improve safety, court operations, and the well-being of justice-involved individuals living with serious mental illness by linking them to court-supervised, community-based treatment. During her tenure at BMHC, the court doubled its capacity and expanded to include people with Neurodevelopmental disorders. She has a master’s degree in sociology and social policy from the University of Glasgow, and a master’s in social work from Hunter College. Ruth currently serves on the NYS Judicial Task Force on Mental Illness.

Patricia Hernandez, LCSW, is a behavioral health leader and licensed clinical social worker with almost 20 years of experience advancing care and developing strategies for vulnerable populations across healthcare, behavioral health, homeless, and housing systems. As Senior Director of Behavioral Health Homeless Initiatives at NYC Health and Hospitals, she leads system-wide initiatives to strengthen collaboration between healthcare and homeless and housing providers to improve outcomes for patients experiencing homelessness with complex behavioral health needs. Previously, Patricia spent several years at the Corporation of Supportive Housing (CSH), where she partnered with providers and government agencies to develop supportive housing initiatives and systems change across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In addition to her leadership role at NYC Health and Hospitals, Patricia serves as Board President of the Health and Housing Consortium, a collaborative network of healthcare and housing organizations, homeless services, and government partners with the shared goal of improving health equity and reducing housing instability in New York City. Patricia currently serves on the New York State Judicial Task Force on Mental Illness and is co-chair of the Reentry and Housing Committee. Lastly, Patricia also maintains a private psychotherapy practice, providing therapy to adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions.