Reference no: EM133291058

Assignment:

In response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown Connecticut, New York State enacted the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act. The Act imposes several restrictions on firearms, and was described by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo as the toughest gun control law in the U.S. The Act includes the following provision in the state's Mental Hygiene Law:

Reports of substantial risk or threat of harm by mental health professionals

(a) For purposes of this section, the term "mental health professional" shall include a physician, psychologist, registered nurse or licensed clinical social worker.

(b) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, when a mental health professional currently providing treatment services to a person determines, in the exercise of reasonable professional judgment, that such person is likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to self or others, he or she shall be required to report, as soon as practicable, to the director of community services, or the director's designee, who shall report to the division of criminal justice services whenever he or she agrees that the person is likely to engage in such conduct.

Information transmitted to the division of criminal justice services shall be limited to names and other non-clinical identifying information, which may only be used for determining whether a license issued pursuant to section 400.00 of the penal law should be suspended or revoked, or for determining whether a person is ineligible for a license issued pursuant to section 400.00 of the penal law, or is no longer permitted under state or federal law to possess a firearm.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a mental health professional to take any action which, in the exercise of reasonable professional judgment, would endanger such mental health professional or increase the danger to a potential victim or victims.

(d) The decision of a mental health professional to disclose or not to disclose in accordance with this section, when made reasonably and in good faith, shall not be the basis for any civil or criminal liability of such mental health professional.

You are a policy analyst for an association that advocates for the rights of persons with mental illness. Summarize the following points

• A concise summary of new mental health reporting provisions
• The main positions taken by supporters and opponents of the mental health reporting provisions, both before and after adoption of the Act (you can find plenty of information about this by doing an internet search)
• Your own analysis of the policy implications of the Act.