Advocates call for mental health resources at Atlanta meeting

ATLANTA — Community advocates are urging Atlanta city officials to increase mental health resources, citing incidents like the 2022 police shooting that killed a man at a Buckhead restaurant.

Relatives said Nygil Cullins was suffering a mental health crisis when he was shot and killed by Atlanta police in Fogo de Chão two years ago. Now, many are calling on the city to invest in more accessible treatment options and better officer training.

Advocates like Devin Barrington-Ward say there is an urgent need to increase mental health resources.

During Monday’s municipal council, the population came forward to demand better support for people in mental distress.

“We saw what happened with the Nygil Cullins video, where this person was in a state of mental health crisis, and the police were not equipped to deal with it,” Barrington-Ward said.

“We’re seeing black men, in particular, in a state of mental health crisis, and they’re not getting the care and resources that are available,” Barrington-Ward said.

He also highlighted potential solutions, such as the Police Alternatives and Diversion (PAD) Initiative, launched in 2021. This program allows officers responding to a mental health crisis to refer individuals for treatment rather than arresting them .

“Now people can access the PAD through 311. Community members can request a referral to the PAD,” he explained.

Last month, the program reported that 23 people had been diverted to their care program. However, Barrington-Ward believes more can be done.

“The problem is that the PAD is only funded to operate Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. That excludes a lot of the time when people need these services,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Barrington-Ward remains optimistic that good planning can prevent potential tragedies.

He also cited increased funding for the PAD program and expanded access to Grady EMS resources as key advancements.