April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
PASTORAL WORDS
New York State bishops' statement on care of those with mental illness
The Catholic Conference proposed a language change in the New York SAFE Act regarding the point at which mental health professionals must report concerns related to potentially violent behavior of their clients; adequate funding for community-based mental health services; and enhanced services in the criminal justice system for mentally ill individuals.
The Catholic Conference applauded Gov. Andrew Cuomo's willingness to modify the state Office of Mental Health's plan to consolidate 24 inpatient facilities into 15 regional Centers of Excellence.
Here are excerpts from the bishops' statement:
"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart; and free me from my anguish" (Ps 25: 16-17).
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four adults, 61.5 million people, experience some form of mental illness in a given year, and one in 17, or 13.6 million, live with a serious mental illness. About 20 percent of youth experience severe mental disorders in a given year. For every mentally ill individual, there is a family - parents, spouses, children, grandparents - directly impacted.
In our society, those with mental illness are often stigmatized, ostracized and alone.
We have no better example of how to respond to those with mental illness than that of Jesus Christ. Time and again throughout the New Testament, we encounter our Lord's mercy toward this population. The curing of this affliction was a central part of Jesus' healing ministry. We saw Him engage these individuals in the same way He would engage anyone else, with tenderness. We are called to do no less.
Our society continues to assume mentally ill individuals are prone to violence. Yet, fewer than five percent of violent acts are committed by people with serious mental illness. Persons with mental illness are more often victims than perpetrators of violent acts, and they also are more likely to be victims of sexual abuse.
While a small percentage of individuals with very severe and untreated mental illness may be at an elevated risk of violence, especially when substance abuse is involved, this risk diminishes significantly with medication and treatment.
In 1980, following a societal shift toward de-institutionalization, the New York State Catholic Conference released a statement on the care and treatment of those suffering from mental illness.
That document lamented the fact that communities were ill-prepared for influxes of people released from large psychiatric hospitals. The Catholic Conference offered several proposals: focusing on a public-private partnership, with the Church playing a major role in providing services; educating [Catholics] on the needs of the mentally ill and on developing "attitudes of acceptance and compassion;" integrating persons with a history of emotional problems into the community, coupled with adequate and appropriate programs; and preserving a service system focused on intervention and prevention.
These recommendations remain relevant today, even as the New York State Catholic Conference, in consultation with the Behavioral Health Committee of the State Council of Catholic Charities Directors, puts forward updated policy proposals (see www.nyscatholic.org).
All Catholics are called to be welcoming of this population. Have we always been as charitable as can be when we encounter those with mental illness? Have we sought to include them and make them feel welcome? Have we avoided the temptation to shun those who are different? Have we been open to residential housing or community mental health centers in our neighborhoods?
We note our solidarity and our spiritual closeness with victims and families of victims of violence committed by all persons, especially persons with mental illness. Had the offenders received effective, ongoing treatment, many of these tragedies may well have been avoided. We must keep firearms out of the hands of mentally ill individuals and all individuals prone to violence. We must focus ever more attention on the care and treatment of such individuals.
Treatment does work, and it is our fervent prayer that, as our state explores new models of care, we can come to live in a society where those who suffer from mental illness can get the help they so desperately need, for their own peace and for the peace and safety of all.[[In-content Ad]]
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