MEDIA ALERT
The National Justice Project (NJP), Redfern Legal Centre (RLC), Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) are hosting an expert forum, ‘Mental health call outs: who should respond?’ to consider alternatives to the current approach that sends police to be first responders to a mental health crisis.
In 2023, four people experiencing a mental health crisis were killed by NSW Police in the space of just four months.
Earlier this month a NSW parliamentary inquiry found police attendance in “mental health emergencies can escalate emotional and psychological distress and has been harmful in a significant number of cases.”
It also highlighted that a broad range of stakeholders, including police representatives, support a health-led approach to mental health emergencies.
NJP, RLC, PIAC, and the ALS are urging the NSW Government to act on the Inquiry’s findings and recommendations, including by:
- ensuring that NSW Police work with NSW Health to explore a model where police are activated as a secondary response to mental health emergencies only where required to support the safety of primary responders;
- continuing to explore the implementation of a health-led response to mental health emergencies; and
- in developing a new approach to responding to mental health crises, ensuring that any review or new model be co-designed with consumers (people with lived experience) and carers.
Forum details
When: Thursday 20 June, 12.45 pm
Where: Macquarie Room, NSW Parliament
Who:
- James O’Loghlin, (facilitator) television and radio host, and author.
- Leesa Topic, mother of Courtney Topic, who was fatally shot by police in 2015.
- Rose Jackson, Minister for Mental Health.
- Judy Deacon, mother of Jesse Deacon, who was fatally shot by police in July 2023.
- Dr Olav Nielssen, psychiatrist at St Vincent’s Hospital and Professor of Psychiatry at Macquarie University.
- Kate Wild, journalist and author of Waiting for Elijah.
- George Newhouse, human rights lawyer and CEO of the National Justice Project.
- Damian Griffis, Worimi man and CEO of the First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN).
Dr. Olav Nielssen said, "In my years of experience, I have witnessed many instances of police serving as frontline mental health responders and managing people in mental health crises very well.
"However, sometimes after a concerned family member has called for an ambulance, the unexpected arrival of police instead escalates the situation, even resulting in criminal charges against the wishes of family members.
A shift towards a health-based approach is recommended."
Leesa Topic said, "I speak for my beautiful daughter, Courtney Jayde Topic, who sadly cannot speak. She was killed at the hands of first responders while in the midst of a mental health crisis on the 10th of February 2015.
"Mental illness is not a law-and-order issue. It is predominantly a health concern. Positive change is imperative for all! Courtney's short life must not be in vain!"
Judy Deason said: "Jesse’s situation was a chilling example of how badly things can go wrong when there is a lack of adequate professional support for mental health care and response.
"Critical incidents are universal, and a nationwide approach to solving these horrific situations is essential; it is imperative that action occurs now.
"Establishing a new national, federally funded addition to the triple-zero service will free up the police from first response and create trained and experienced trauma-informed services nationwide.
"This would result in more jobs, less stress and pressure, increased service retention, and ultimately more lives saved."
ENDS
Media contact: Alyssa Robinson [email protected] 0427 346 017
