With regard to Michael Biasotti's commentary "Mental illness provisions must remain in NY SAFE Act," April 17, it appears there is some misunderstanding or conflation with regard to mental health professionals' objections and proposed improvements to the act.
While some believe the law will inhibit the therapeutic process, this is by no means a universal opinion in the mental health community and does not serve as the basis for its most vociferous opposition. Many mental health professionals believe the act uses the profession ineffectively and inefficiently and that it will do little to help mental health professionals make the types of warnings that are likely to curb violence.
According to the law, a mental health professional who has reasonable concerns about a patient or client is to notify a county-level official who makes a determination regarding the seriousness or credibility of the threat before notifying the Department of Criminal Justice Services. This is much less likely to thwart a person who is truly and imminently at-risk for committing a violent act.
While the act provides civil and criminal protections for mental health professionals who make SAFE Act warnings, it does not extend those protections to mental health professionals who make warnings to threatened individuals, family, or local law enforcement.
Mental health workers desire to be partners with law enforcement in violence prevention. A well-intentioned but hastily-constructed law is preventing them from doing that.
Shane Gregory Owens
psychologist and adviser
to the New York State Psychological Association
Commack