Journey Mental Health Center is a non-profit organization that provides mental health and substance use services in the community. We are committed to helping people heal, grow stronger, and live with dignity. We believe in using kind, effective, and science-based approaches to support those living with mental illness, addiction, and homelessness.
Recently, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order called Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets. This order encourages more use of civil commitment and institutionalization for people who are homeless, struggling with addiction, or living with mental illness. We believe this is the wrong approach and feel it is important to speak up.
At Journey, our mission is to help people lead meaningful lives through personalized, supportive care. We imagine a community where everyone has access to mental health services and where people are treated with understanding - not judgment.
This Executive Order suggests a link between mental illness and crime, but the facts tell a different story:
- In 2025, about 58 million adults in the U.S. are living with a mental illness.
- Over 19 million people have both mental health and substance use challenges.
- 40% of high school students report feeling sad or hopeless, and 1 in 5 have seriously considered suicide.
These are signs of a public health crisis - not a crime wave. Decades of research show that community-based care, access to stable housing, and trauma-informed support help people recover and build better lives. Locking people away is not the answer.
We are very concerned that this Executive Order could takeaway people’s rights, increase stigma, and bring back harmful practices from the past—when many people were placed in institutions without the care or oversight they needed. This is a step in the wrong direction.
Journey Mental Health Center urges our leaders to:
- Invest in local mental health services like crisis care, outpatient treatment, and peer support.
- Make housing and supportive services more available for people without homes.
- Protect civil rights and ensure care is trauma-informed, culturally respectful, and voluntary when possible.
- Support care models that treat mental health and substance use together.
We ask our community, partners, and elected officials to stand with us. Let’s not criminalize people who are suffering. Let’s choose compassion, fairness, and solutions that work.
Tanya Lettman-Shue
CEO, Journey Mental Health Center
