April 16 (Repost from NYAPRS/Politico)
Some news outlets, professors and policymakers are rushing to judgement about what led to the subway shooting horror associated with Frank R. James and to identify causes and remedies to prevent terrible tragedies like this from occurring in the future.
From early reporting, Mr James has a long history of criminality and preoccupation with violence and is someone who has referred to personal struggles with PTSD and who has had past and possibly current involvement with mental health services.
Events like these inevitably lead to calls for more coercive mental health treatment orders but typically fail to look at the role of the criminal justice system, the impact of social determinants of health like poverty, isolation and discrimination or around the need to increase availability and access to existing models of innovative voluntary services that are engaging, personalized and persistent.
On this note, come hear NYC Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene Dr. Ashwin Vasan’s talk on ‘The Nexus Between Behavioral and Public Health and Social Policy’ at NYAPRS April 26-7 Executive Seminar. You can register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nyaprs-2022-executive-seminar-tickets-229387001697.