The Michelle Go Act
Michelle Go was senselessly killed by a schizophrenic homeless man who pushed her on to the NYC subway tracks. To honor her legacy, we are supporting the Michelle Go Act, which will increase Medicaid funding to supply more psychiatric hospital beds that will help those in need to get the care they need while keeping our streets safer.
The Michelle Go Act
Learn more about Michelle’s story and how the Michelle Go Act will help with our mental health crisis. It’s a common sense law that has support from both sides.
The decline of psychiatric hospital beds everywhere
We are facing a severe mental health crisis, and it’s been brewing way before COVID-19 but a global pandemic exacerbated it. Instead of increasing the supply of psychiatric hospital beds, the supply has been slowly dwindling.
According to the NY State Controller, NY has been declining in inpatient psychiatric beds and has been in long-term decline of inpatient capacity for awhile now.
“The last decade reflects a continuation of a long-term decline in the overall number of inpatient psychiatric beds in New York – particularly in state-operated psychiatric centers – due to policy decisions made decades ago. From April 2014 to Dec. 2023, psychiatric inpatient capacity decreased by 506 beds (11.2%) in New York City and by 484 beds (9.8%) outside of the city.
And the problem is the same in California as it is in most states.
The Michelle Go Act will increase funding for psychiatric hospital beds, which won’t solve the mental health problem but is a positive step in the right direction.
How You Can Help
Call, email and go tell your local Members of Congress that you support the Michelle Go Act. That’s it. That's the most effective way to ensure the Michelle Go Act gets the support it needs to be passed into law.
Get those you know to do the same. The more your local Members of Congress hear that it’s important to the community, the more likely they will to act.