People experiencing a mental health crisis deserve care, not criminalisation.
That’s why the National Justice Project and the Alternative First Responders campaign have made a submission to the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission’s community survey on mental health and policing interactions in NSW.
Our submission outlines the harms caused by police-led responses to mental health crises and calls for an approach that starts with person-centred support, not law enforcement.
A safer crisis response must be built around the people with the right skills and lived expertise, including peer workers, mental health outreach workers, public health nurses, allied health professionals, Elders and community leaders.
Defaulting to police too often leads to criminalisation, while defaulting to emergency departments can lead to over-medicalisation. People in crisis deserve responses that are tailored to their needs.
