A national nonprofit organization has “grave concerns” over the new executive order issued by President Donald Trump that attempts to solve homelessness through the institutionalization of people with mental illness.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, concedes the nationwide homelessness crisis is urgent but doesn’t believe putting everyone in institutions will solve the issue.
The executive order, “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” directs federal agencies to make it easier to involuntarily treat people with serious mental illnesses.
“Shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment will restore public order. Surrendering our cities and citizens to disorder and fear is neither compassionate to the homeless nor other citizens,” the order states.
The order also directs the Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development and Transportation secretaries to assess grant programs and give priority to states and localities that comply with the order and enforce prohibitions on illicit drug use, urban camping, loitering and squatting.
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“Mental illness is not a crime, and people with mental illness deserve to be treated as human beings, with dignity and respect,” said Daniel H. Gillison, NAMI’s chief executive officer. “While we agree that homelessness is an urgent crisis in our country, to truly address the systemic causes of this crisis, we should be pouring resources into treatment to improve early access to care and investing in supportive housing and other wrap-around services.”
Gillison is concerned about the broad focus of the order on institutionalization and not on real solutions. Involuntary commitment should be used “only as a last resort,” he said in a statement.
This executive order comes at a time when significant cuts are being made to mental health services across the nation. Congress passed legislation that will drastically cut Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits over the next decade, impacting millions of Americans.
The current administration has also rescinded more than $1 billion in grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration with more cuts on the horizon.
“These changes will result in far too many people being unable to get the treatment they need,” Gillison said. “When that happens, more people will be arrested, incarcerated, land in emergency rooms, lose their connection to family and community, and ultimately become homeless.”
NAMI’s Chief Advocacy Officer Hannah Wesolowski said this order may get homeless people out of sight, but it doesn’t address the causes of housing insecurity.
“People with mental illness deserve better.”
“Rather than providing access to critical mental health services, this executive order appears to prioritize coercive tactics to move people who are homeless out of the public eye,” said Wesolowski. “This does nothing to address the root causes of homelessness, runs a high risk of exacerbating the homelessness crisis and is not the way to address our mental health needs.
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Crystal Graham
