Press Releases

Washington, DC — Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) yesterday joined Representatives Katie Porter (CA-47), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) in introducing the Mental Health Justice Act to empower state and local governments to send trained mental health professionals in response to 911 calls when an individual is experiencing a mental health crisis.

The Treatment Advocacy Center estimates that 1 in 4 fatal police encounters involves someone with a severe mental illness. Additional research estimates that more than 1 in 5 911 calls involve someone experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.

The Mental Health Justice Act establishes a grant program to pay for hiring, training, salary, benefits, and additional expenses for mental health provider first responder units. Upon establishment, mental health providers would be the first on the scene to assist an individual experiencing a mental health crisis and help them to access appropriate community resources.

“The American people and law enforcement agree — individuals experiencing a mental health crisis need to be connected with trained mental health professionals, not thrown in jail,” said Rep. Scanlon. “But all too often, we see the tragic consequences of interactions between people in crisis and police officers who lack the necessary training to care for them. I'm proud to lead this common-sense bill alongside Rep. Porter to keep our communities safe by providing the resources needed to care for our most vulnerable and meet the needs of our over-extended law enforcement.”

The Mental Health Justice Act will further support proposed policies and existing programs to assist in de-escalating engagements with those experiencing a mental health crisis. For Fiscal Year 2022, Rep. Scanlon secured $650,000 for Delaware County’s Crisis Co-Response Program through Community Project Funding. Currently operational in Haverford and Upper Darby, additional funding would be critical in expanding services for extended hours and additional locations.

“Mental illness is not a crime, and it’s time we stop treating it as one,” said Rep. Porter. “Having the right type of responders for mental health emergencies will make our communities safer, reduce the strain on our criminal justice system, and stop distracting law enforcement from what Americans need them to do—fight crime. I’m proud to work with colleagues from across the aisle to reintroduce the Mental Health Justice Act and deliver care to people in crisis.”

“Folks experiencing a mental health crisis deserve resources and care–not to be criminalized by police and put in harm’s way,” said Rep. Pressley. “Our bill promotes a public health approach to public safety by sending culturally congruent and trained mental health professionals to respond to community members in moments of crisis, rather than deploying police officers, which puts the lives of those in crisis at risk. I’m grateful to Reps. Porter, Scanlon, Cardenas, and our colleagues for their ongoing partnership.”

"Too often, mental health emergencies are met with a law enforcement response. The result is trauma, unnecessary uses of force, and the criminalization of people with mental health disabilities, especially when they are Black," said Megan Schuller, Legal Director of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. "Physical health emergencies receive a healthcare response; the same should be true for mental health emergencies. The Mental Health Justice Act is an important step toward addressing this injustice, by investing in alternatives to a police response for mental health calls and supporting evidence-based practices to make communities safer for all."

Find the full text of the bill here.

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