Message from the CEO

What if George Floyd Had Survived?

If George Floyd had survived his encounter with the police, he would have been vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder from being exposed to the life threatening trauma of a knee to his throat for more than 8 minutes. The police would have taken him to jail, where he would be exposed to further trauma. I am calling on our lawmakers to reform our criminal justice system that breaks and kills people, innocent or guilty, mentally ill or not. Part of the solution is mental health services on the front lines that can assist police in dealing with these issues, such as our Mobile Response Team. Once in jail, these individuals need access to treatment to reverse and prevent further trauma. At every step of the way, let’s use telepsychiatry to help end the cycle of mass incarceration.