The New York State Office of Mental Health today announced that the Daniel’s Law Task Force will host its next stakeholder listening session to continue gathering feedback from the public. Registration is open for the latest stakeholder listening session at the Kate Gleason Auditorium in the Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, which will also be streamed live.

Members of the public wanting to comment in person at the listening session should register at the Daniel’s Law Task Force website. The Kate Gleason Auditorium is located at 115 South Ave., in Rochester, with parking available at the 194 Court Street Garage and on the surrounding street.

The session in Rochester is aimed at eliciting additional input from communities, governmental entities, and the public on the best practices for engaging individuals in crisis, with a specific emphasis on equity. The task force is also examining a variety of models –both national and international –that could be used in developing a crisis response system.

Established in response to the death of 41-year-old Daniel Prude in 2020, the task force is charged with developing recommendations to guide behavioral health crisis response and explore avenues for related diversion services. Following its inaugural meeting last summer, the task force has hosted several stakeholder listening sessions and has continued gathering comments from participants.

The Task Force conducted in-person listening sessions at the state University of New York at Stony Brook on Jan. 11, and at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan on Jan. 18. Virtual listening sessions were also hosted in November and last month.

“As we continue gathering feedback from the public, we are very encouraged by the input we’ve already received from our previous listening sessions,” Office of Mental Health Commissioner and Task Force Chair Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “With this listening session in Rochester, we’re hoping to receive even more direction from the individuals who have experienced a mental health crisis, healthcare providers, local officials and others who can help us shape appropriate recommendations.”