Reconsidering the City of New York Directive on Mental Health Involuntary Removals

Homelessness is a visible manifestation of large-scale societal challenges, such as lack of affordable housing, poverty, and health inequities. Governments may miss opportunities to address these structural problems by removing people experiencing homelessness from public spaces. On 29 November 2022, after a press conference by Mayor Eric Adams, the city of New York issued a directive entitled Mental Health Involuntary Removals. The program authorized mental health providers and NYPD officers to take any person into custody who appears mentally ill and displays inability to meet basic living needs, even when no dangerous act has been observed.

We reviewed the existing literature from 1973 to 2023 for studies, enacted legislation, state and federal policies, and interventions related to homelessness, mental health, and admission of people experiencing homelessness into psychiatric hospitals in the United States. We used academic databases, including PubMed, PsycInfo, and JSTOR for peer-reviewed articles, government reports, and policy analyses. Our search strategy included keyword combinations such as "homelessness and mental health," "policy interventions for homeless populations," and "health care services costs." We applied inclusion criteria focusing on reports and articles that directly address the intersectionality of homelessness, mental health policy, and psychiatric care.

Homelessness and mental illness frequently intersect, creating complex challenges that require nuanced solutions. Forced hospitalization of people experiencing homelessness in New York City, while intended to address critical social and health care issues, carries a risk for significant long-term harm. This approach places strain on the mental health care system and may ultimately exacerbate the problems it purports to resolve.