Who We Are
Correct Crisis Intervention Today - NYC (CCIT-NYC) is a coalition of peers (individuals with lived mental health experience), nonprofits, and community members working to transform how New York City responds to mental health crisis calls.
Since forming in 2012, we have advocated for person-centered and health-focused responses to mental health crises.
Our Mission
Correct Crisis Intervention Today - New York City (CCIT-NYC) has a mission to reform the City of New York's response to mental health crises to a non-police response system that is led by peers (individuals with lived mental health experience).
What We Know
CCIT-NYC knows that mental health crises are not public safety issues, and they require a public health response that is led by healthcare professionals with the capacity to deliver person-centered interventions, along with peers with lived experience.
Our Guiding
Principles
Our guiding principles include the following well-researched recommendations and objectives:
Mental health crises are a public health issue, not a law enforcement or criminal justice problem.
Traumatic encounters between the police and people in crisis are the consequence of a failing social support and public health system. The City must provide assistance to people before a 911 or other crisis call is made, shift the response to the over 200,000 911 calls per year away from the police toward a peer-driven crisis response system, and provide adequate support after an encounter with emergency services, no matter the location.
The City’s mental health crisis response must be guided by peer input.
Peers – those with lived mental health crisis experience – must be prominently involved in all aspects of reforming the City’s response to mental health crises. User feedback is essential, and the creation of an independent planning body to oversee a comprehensive, long-term reform effort is critical to ensure evaluation, appropriate outcome measurement, and regular feedback.
The City’s mental health crisis response must be peer-led.
The City must embrace tried and tested approaches, such as the CAHOOTS model, with publicly-funded mental health response teams comprised of an experienced and certified peer specialist and an emergency medical technician (EMT).
CCIT-NYC works with government partners, as needed.
Many of our constituents have experienced traumatic and sometimes violent interactions with police. Yet CCIT-NYC recognizes that our mission of reforming the City’s response to mental health crisis to a health response may be facilitated by collaborating with the police, and CCIT-NYC will work with the police, as needed.