Black Bostonians are much more likely to have health care providers try to involuntarily hospitalize them amid mental health emergencies, according to a new study out this month.
The process can be initiated by clinicians or police officers if they believe a person is a danger to themselves or others. That prompts an order for local EMS and Boston police to transport that individual to a local facility for an evaluation, which can lead to an involuntary commitment of up to three days.
More than 40% of the nearly 500 requests that health care workers made in a recent year were for Black patients, even though fewer than a quarter of all Bostonians are Black.
The study’s authors also found that, for every three in four cases, these requests for transport are made by health professionals who haven’t directly evaluated the person. Researchers and advocates say the study identifies discrepancies that should be addressed and underscores the need for more support before individuals reach a crisis.
Tens of thousands of these involuntary evaluations happen in Massachusetts every year. Advocates say this study provides rare insight into how these tools are applied by health care providers.
Earl Miller, who oversees two Wildflower Alliance respite centers in Holyoke and Springfield, worries about police involvement with mental health crises. After more than a decade with Wildflower Alliance, Miller says he’s never had to call the police for someone to be hospitalized or institutionalized.
Some advocates believe such institutionalizations should be seen as a violation of someone’s human rights. Miller himself was involuntarily hospitalized when he was younger, which inspired him to enter this line of work.
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