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Proclaiming that he is “data driven” and “results-driven”, New York City’s new mental health commissioner, David Rosin introduced himself to an audience of some of the most active consumers in the mental health community, at a gathering in midtown Manhattan.. Rosin, formerly an adult psychiatrist; a mental health administrator in South Carolina and Nevada and once a member of “a team of medical types” who traveled to Rwanda and Zaire during trouble times in 1995, Rosin possesses an impressive resume. However, that did not stop consumers from giving him a thorough grilling, one for which he was no totally prepared, but which he handled relatively well.
Rosin said right off the bat that he wants friendly relations with consumers and desires consumer input, but he also warned that he prefers to hear from consumers who have “constructive criticism and solutions” to problems, not just aimless complaints.
On the sensitive issue of housing, Rosin carefully claimed that all stakeholders(not just consumers) will be a the table when it comes time to resolve housing issues, reminding people that NYC gets limited resources from the state and city council. However, Rosin pointed out that he is a believer in and skilled user of conflict negotiation.
When confronted with problems consumers are having with the criminal justice system, Rosin reassured people that in Las Vegas mental health and drug courts worked together successfully.
Regarding problems with police, Rosin stated that he used effectively the Memphis CIT model to train officers to be sensitive to mental health issues.
He also said that he would seek to stop the termination of Medicaid benefits for prisoners.
Regarding unemployment, Rosin stated that in Vegas, he had the government hire consumers as advocates and counselors and that he hired a former New Yorker as consumer consultant to his new commissionership.
Some questions, especially the more detailed ones, Rosin said that he ha not been briefed on before the event and therefore could not answer, but did provide his e-mail address so that consumers could send unanswered questions to his office.
All in all, this former cantor, who was told in med school that he would have to drop music in order to fully focus on his medical career, seemed pleasant and thoughtful, if not a real firebrand.