Eudes Pierre was a young man who showed compassion to his community — even as he faced his own struggles.  It has been 2½ years since Eudes was killed by New York City police officers who fired 10 shots at him while he was in the throes of a mental health crisis after calling 911 himself. Sadly, the story of our beloved brother and cousin is not an anomaly. At least 20 people have had a fatal encounter with the NYPD since 2015 while they were experiencing an emotional or mental health crisis. A disproportionate number of these victims (85%) were individuals of color — including, most recently, Win Rozario, who was just 19 when he was killed this past March, also after he called 911 for help.  We continue to feel Eudes’ loss every day and we fight for justice on his behalf. We are determined that his death will not be in vain, and that his legacy will be a significant shift in how the city responds to mental health crises. Evidence from programs across the country shows that responses to mental health emergencies led by trained peers (those with lived mental health experience) are more successful than police-led responses.  The Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) Program in Denver, for example, led to a 34% decline in reports of the crimes the program targeted. The Crisis Assistance Helping out on the Streets (CAHOOTS) program in Eugene, Ore., found similarly positive results, with less than 2% of the calls they responded to requiring police back-up as of 2020. New York’s attempt at an equivalent pilot program — the Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division (B-HEARD)—was launched in Harlem in 2021. It routes certain 911 mental health calls to the B-HEARD response team made up of a social worker and an EMT or paramedic. B-HEARD could create real change in how the city responds to mental health crises. However, there are extensive concerns with the program’s structure and outcomes to date. Trained peers should be a mandatory element of B-HEARD. Response teams that include people with lived experience have been proven to shift the model toward a more person-centered approach, rooted in genuine connection and communal well-being. Two key goals of B-HEARD are to increase connection to community-based care and decrease hospitalizations. Yet only 6% of people are transported to a community-based health care or social service location, and nearly 60% are still taken to a hospital. Peers have the skills and expertise to advocate for community-based care and avoid unnecessary hospital transports. B-HEARD also needs to alter its dispatch systems by switching to the newly expanded 988 mental health crisis hotline. Critically, B-HEARD must be available 24/7 rather than the current, highly insufficient, 16 hours a day. It must be citywide and ensure cultural competency through community oversight and engagement. Finally, B-HEARD needs adequate investment. After Eudes’ death, Mayor Adams pledged $55 million to the program in the 2022-2023 budget, which was subsequently reduced to $43 million. In 2024, B-HEARD was subject to “Program to Eliminate the Gap” (PEG) cuts that have not been fully restored. The hard truth is that with B-HEARD’s current structure and level of funding, only 15% of eligible calls within B-HEARD’s hours of operation and areas of focus are responded to. This is unacceptable. To operate effectively, B-HEARD must remain a top priority for this administration. If not, traumatic — and deadly — interactions between the police and those struggling with their mental health will continue. Today, the City Council will hold an oversight hearing about B-HEARD and mental health crisis response. Correct Crisis Intervention Today – NYC (CCIT-NYC) — a coalition of family members, community organizations, peers, and other advocates working to transform the city’s response to mental health crises — will rally beforehand on the City Hall steps to call for an end to violence against New Yorkers living with mental health concerns, in part by improving B-HEARD.  CCIT-NYC and its members and affiliates will testify at the hearing, as will we. Mental health crises are a public health emergency. They should not be handled by law enforcement. They should not be a death sentence. Eudes was a beloved member of the community and deserved respect, yet the police responded to him with violence.  We speak from devastating personal experience when we say that mental health impacts us all intimately and intensely. Improving and expanding B-HEARD is our chance to change NYC’s approach to mental health. Let’s not squander it.  Pierre is the brother of Eudes Pierre and advocacy collaborator, Justice for Eudes Pierre Coalition. Banatte is a cousin of Eudes Pierre; managing director of advocacy, Justice for Eudes Pierre Coalition; and peer advocate, Correct Crisis Intervention Today – NYC (CCIT-NYC).