First hour: The Daniel's Law Task Force, and how to improve responses to mental health and addiction crises
Second hour: Do restorative practices work in schools?
A state-wide group focused on improving responses to mental health and addiction crises is asking the public for feedback. The Daniel’s Law Task Force is holding listening sessions across the state; a Rochester-based session is being held Wednesday afternoon. The task force was established to honor Daniel Prude, who died in 2020 after being restrained by Rochester police during a mental health crisis. This hour, our guests discuss recommendations they’ve received from communities so far, and what they hope to change when it comes to crisis response strategies. Our guests:
- Stanley Martin, member of Rochester City Council
- New York State Senator Samra Brouk, District 55
- New York State Assemblymember Harry Bronson, District 138
- Chacku Mathai, member of Daniel’s Law Coalition and Daniel’s Law Taskforce, who has lived experience of mental health and substance use conditions
- Colleen Kristich, licensed master social worker with the Community Responders for Erie County Coalition and Daniel’s Law Coalition
Then in our second hour, do restorative practices work in schools? Use of the restorative practices is growing in educational settings across the country. They are meant to empower students involved in conflicts to resolve those issues with each other in small groups. This hour, we examine how the practices work, what students and adults can learn, and how the lessons of restorative practices can be expanded beyond school walls. In studio:
- Ruth Turner, deputy superintendent for the Rochester City School District and expert on restorative practices
- Brandin Jones, principal of Greece Olympia in the Greece Central School District
- Zachary Arenz, music teacher at Flower City School #54 in the Rochester City School District and 2024 New York State Teacher of the Year
- Deanna Green, 11th grade student graduating early from Greece Arcadia High School, who participated in Peer Advisory Council as a peer juror and a peer attorney
