Gary's proposed mobile mental health initiative has taken a major step forward. The city council voted unanimously Tuesday to appropriate $1.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan money for the initiative, drawing cheers from those in attendance.
A dozen residents spoke in support of the measure. Marcella DeLavallade-Amos said calling 911 for a wellness check for her son with schizophrenia worked on three occasions, until one time in January 2012 when police came alone, without emergency medical services.
"My son was shot in his shoulder, his thigh, his hand, his heart, his lungs, and his spine was shattered," DeLavallade-Amos told council members. "My only child, at the age of 27, was gone."
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said that while many police-involved shootings may technically be justified, that doesn't mean they weren't preventable. "We can prevent lives being taken away from us, and it's just so sad," Carter said.
Under the mobile mental health initiative, a clinician would be available to respond to mental health crises, either instead of — or along with — police. In the coming weeks, the city of Gary plans to seek proposals from mental health agencies to develop and manage the program. The idea came out of the city's police reform commission established in 2020 and a community meeting held last spring.
City council member Lori Latham said she's proud of the city for taking the initiative of building an infrastructure for mental health services. "We know that the safest communities are not the ones with the most police in them. The safest communities are the ones that treat the whole person," Latham added.
Advocates believe Gary could serve as a model for the rest of the state. Many of those who spoke at Tuesday's council meeting had also traveled to Indianapolis to advocate for increased mental health funding at the Statehouse.
Haniah Davis is a field organizer with Faith in Indiana. "The state of Indiana is with you, they agree with you and the politicians are watching you," Davis told council members. "And they're waiting for the city of Gary to demonstrate that this pilot program will save lives."