The AFR team stood alongside BEING – the peak body for mental health consumers in NSW – Leesa Topic (mother of Courtney Topic), Nichole and Sharee (cousins of Jodi Knott) and Judy Deacon (mother of Jesse Deacon) at a candlelit vigil for lives lost at the hands of NSW police responses to people experiencing mental health distress. An open letter was signed by 21 mental health and justice organisations calling for greater investment in mental health services and community-led responses. Having a mental health crisis is not a crime, people experiencing a mental health crisis deserve care, not force.
Key recommendations in the open letter:
1. Fully fund critical mental health services in NSW, so that people can access the care they need to keep living
2. Prioritise investment in community-based programs, to prevent people from reaching a point of crisis
3. Make health-led responses the default for mental health emergencies, instead of a police-led response.
4. Legislate a NSW Human Rights Act, so the rights of people experiencing mental health crises are protected in law.
Read the joint statement in full here.
The power of advocacy is felt most when we stand together. Outside Parliament, NSW advocates and family members shared their statements at a candlelit vigil remembering the lives of Jodi, Courtney and Jesse. Watch Alternative First Responder Campaign Lead, Chloe Fragos’ speech below and other powerful speeches made on the night here.
“We need investment outside of law enforcement, to meet people’s need and respond to crisis with care” – Chloe Fragos
