Communities Develop Alternative Mental Health Crisis Response Models

New report highlights rights-respecting approaches that avoid police involvement

Mar. 31, 2026 at 12:00am

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A new report from Human Rights Watch, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, and the Center for Racial and Disability Justice at UCLA Law School examines alternative mental health crisis response programs across the US that prioritize individual autonomy, voluntary support, and minimal law enforcement involvement.

Why it matters

Police-led mental health crisis response has often resulted in violence and harm, especially for Black people and other people of color. These alternative programs aim to provide more effective, rights-respecting support by mobilizing peers, social workers, and other professionals to de-escalate crises and connect individuals to community resources.

The details

The report identifies key elements of rights-respecting crisis response, including promoting individual autonomy, providing voluntary support rather than mandating compliance, and avoiding unnecessary law enforcement involvement. Researchers studied over 150 crisis response programs and featured eight that have committed to implementing these approaches, with teams often including peers, social workers, EMTs, and crisis intervention specialists.

  • The 66-page report, 'Self-Determination is the Pathway to Liberation': Alternative Mental Health Crisis Response in the United States,' was released on March 31, 2026.

The players

Human Rights Watch

An international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest

A non-profit civil rights law firm that advocates for social justice and disability rights.

Center for Racial and Disability Justice at UCLA Law School

A research and advocacy center focused on addressing the intersection of race and disability.

Tanya Greene

US program director at Human Rights Watch.

William Juhn

Senior staff attorney of the Disability Justice Program at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest.

Jordyn Jensen

Community engagement and communications manager at the Center for Racial and Disability Justice.

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What they’re saying

“Having police as the primary or default responders to people experiencing mental health crises is ineffective and sometimes lethal, given their orientation toward force and compliance.”

— Tanya Greene, US program director at Human Rights Watch

“Fortunately, there are alternate approaches that emphasize personal autonomy and consent to treatment.”

— Tanya Greene, US program director at Human Rights Watch

“These programs serve as examples for how we can truly serve individuals and communities to make their own decisions through support and care.”

— William Juhn, Senior staff attorney of the Disability Justice Program at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest

“As federal, state, and local governments move toward more coercive approaches to mental health crisis response, like involuntary commitments, hospitalizations, and forced medication, it is important to understand that programs honoring human rights do exist.”

— Jordyn Jensen, Community engagement and communications manager at the Center for Racial and Disability Justice

What’s next

The report's authors plan to continue studying and advocating for the expansion of rights-respecting mental health crisis response programs across the United States.

The takeaway

This report highlights how community-based, non-coercive approaches to mental health crises can provide more effective, humane, and equitable support compared to traditional police-led responses that have often resulted in violence and harm, especially for marginalized groups.