00:00Code Blue means action, it means urgency, and it also means deep care.
00:06But for too many New Yorkers experiencing homelessness in our city this winter,
00:11Code Blue is a warning that unfortunately came too late.
00:14My first and fundamental question is, how can a person refusing to come indoors in freezing weather,
00:22where they are obviously at great risk of potentially dying, not be assessed to be a danger to themselves?
00:28Thank you, Councilmember.
00:30These are very individualized assessments in accordance with the law and with best practice.
00:38So clinicians really are looking to see if the individual meets the two-fold test,
00:44which is are they exhibiting signs of mental illness and are they a danger to themselves or others, right?
00:51So if an individual is completely lucid, if they are dry, they are wearing enough layers of clothing,
01:02and they do not want to come inside, they have the right not to come inside.
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