An audit conducted by the New York State comptroller has exposed significant lapses in the state’s Kendra’s Law program, designed to provide mental health treatment for individuals at risk of violence. The audit revealed instances of bureaucratic delays and poor oversight, leading to preventable injuries and deaths.
Kendra’s Law, considered the gold standard in New York for treating mentally ill individuals prone to violence, was found to encounter delays in connecting people to psychiatric care. In a notable case, a mental health provider took nearly a month to establish contact with an individual in the program, well beyond the stipulated one-week timeframe. Subsequently, the provider failed to schedule a required follow-up meeting, and the person was later arrested on a homicide charge.
The audit highlighted that the State Office of Mental Health, responsible for ensuring treatment for program participants, remained unaware of the delay until the local health department notified them of the homicide. While acknowledging the program’s overall effectiveness in linking individuals with psychiatric care, the audit emphasized the need for improvements to address delays and communication breakdowns that have resulted in severe consequences.
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli stated, “When there are lapses, the consequences can be fatal.”
The Kendra’s Law program involves court-ordered treatment for mentally ill individuals, and the audit stressed the necessity of enhancements to reduce delays and improve communication to prevent grave outcomes.
One critical aspect highlighted in the audit was the need for treatment providers and health officials to share information regularly. This includes details about individuals’ conditions, medication compliance, threats of self-harm, or arrests. However, in nearly 25% of the cases reviewed, data entry errors were identified in reporting these crucial events.
While the audit did not disclose the names of program participants, it recounted distressing cases. For instance, one individual in the program was hospitalized for suicidal thoughts 33 times over 18 months, but none of these hospitalizations were appropriately recorded. Tragically, the person died by suicide on the day of their last hospital release.
The audit aligns with previous investigations, such as The New York Times’, which uncovered substantial breakdowns in Kendra’s Law. Despite its inception in 1999 to prevent violent acts by individuals with untreated mental illnesses, serious issues persist within the program, raising concerns about its efficacy and the safety of those under its care.
