He was told a team like that could not come for at least a day, maybe two; for immediate help, call 911. We cant have a universality in this from day one, he added. Heres How (and When) To Watch President Trump At CPAC. A spreadsheet of nearly 500 data points tracked by City Hall included almost none related to patient outcomes. We cant turn on a switch one day and then screen 120,000 women a year, Gary Belkin, policy and strategy chief of Thrive, said in an interview, referring to how many women he estimated give birth each year. For instance, Thrives metrics show that between July 2016 and October 2018, 189,070 Naloxone kits were distributed throughout hospitals, syringe exchange programs and other sites where opioid overdose is common. Its wrong, and it needs to stop, Reynoso said. The new focus for the program is the second time the city has attempted to retrain Thrives focus. Repeatedly presented by City Hall as a four-year $850 million plan, city officials now say $560 million will have been spent in that time. The government could decide not to have a nepotism restriction but it would come with costs like undermining the public trust, Clark said. Oh, brother. Insight from Dr. Oscar Odom, former NYPD detective. How many other big-bucks initiatives are in similar straits is unknowable mostly because bureaucrats never blow the whistle on themselves and also because Gothams formal watchdog, city Comptroller Scott Stringer, is among the most incurious individuals ever to hold the office. Chirlane McCray is the face of ThriveNYC an $850 million dollar administration initiative she helped design to improve the citys mental health and substance abuse services. Mental health advocates have been pressing the city to overhaul how emergency personnel respond to situations involving people experiencing the effects of severe mental health issues. Chirlane McCray, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's wife, was entrusted in 2015 with running a new initiative in the city called ThriveNYC, a program that attempted to address issues of homelessness, substance use, depression and suicide, all centered around mental health and with a price tag of $250 million per year in tax payer dollars. Bill de Blasio's wife can't account for staggering amount of taxpayer money that the NY Mayor gave her for mental health project Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she champions has gone, according to reports. Were US Rail Workers Instructed to Bypass Railcar Safety Inspections? Right up there with co-Mayor Bill, who started the week on his own sour note announcing that his signature Renewal school program was closing up shop after pounding $773 million down a. Well, he didnt actually say rathole, and the price tag has doubtless been lowballed but he also had no credible explanation for the debacle, nor did he apologize for it. Sign up for our free email newsletter, and we'll make sure to keep you in the loop. The data also showed almost 190,000 Narcan kits were handed out to hospitals where opioid use is common, but there is no evidence of how many were used. The data comes from a Politico report that shows those running the scheme have largely failed to measure its impact or keep track of spending. Dr. Anitha Iyer, right, who helps oversee the call center for the citys mental health hotline, speaks to Dr. Gary Belkin, left, chief of policy and strategy at ThriveNYC. The programs at issue ostensibly are meant to assist particularly challenged people the helpless, often homeless, mentally ill and small children whose futures are forfeited because they landed in shamefully nonfunctional schools, an experience from which they will never recover. However, it does not show whether programs met or surpassed their goals, and whether New Yorkers are better off for it. Over the next four years, Ms. McCray would transform herself into a mental health evangelist. Are we there yet? Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she . Spencer Cox to sign bill banning abortion clinic operations. They have good ideas, but the implementation is what they stumble on, said Steve Coe, the chief executive of Community Access, which provides housing and other services to the mentally ill. Thrives primary focus is on the other end of the spectrum: New Yorkers who have less serious and possibly undiagnosed mental health problems, a population that according to City Hall encompasses 1.7 million city residents. The 14-page report, acquired by POLITICO this month, seeks to evaluate the programs performance, but does not provide a clear picture on what it has accomplished thus far. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]. The Thrive program budgeted millions to create diversion centers, a place other than jail for officers to bring those experiencing a mental health crisis. Its not easy to track, because Thrive is a multi-agency program that has functions in all sorts of different agencies in the city, so you need someone very detailed with aggregated budget data to sum up the total spending, Champeny said. With Thrive, spending rose to $346 million in fiscal year 2018, according to an analysis by the City Council. It was honorable work, it didnt cost very much and it filled up the spouses free time. I'm not sure anybody does.'. This principally is on the co-mayors, of course, but it is also on Stringer who wants to be mayor, but who shrinks from demonstrating that he deserves the job. But this is 2019, and the general feeling at least in the deBlasio administration is that if theres not a lot of dough attached to the spousal sinecure, it doesnt really matter enough. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio attempted to defend first lady Chirlane McCray against backlash on Wednesday after it was discovered she had private staff that's getting paid millions in taxpayer money. The city said that was a function of the programs design. Few of those who dial the number agree to a follow-up call, making it hard to gauge its effectiveness. At the same time, some initiatives failed to get started, while others placed unrealistic demands on already strained mental health services. But the budget discrepancies illustrate the difficulty in tracking Thrive. To bypass internet censorship, connect with us directly by enabling our notifications (using the red subscription bell in the bottom right corner) or by subscribing to our free daily newsletter. Mental health first aid classes include discussions and role playing; Ms. McCray implores people to take the course, but has not yet been able to get her husband to do it. In recent months the administration moved to change that, creating a centralized office for the program, appointing a senior adviser to oversee it and releasing budget details and data on 472 metrics against which it could weigh the programs effectiveness. That the co-mayors could fly under the radar to burn through $1.6 billion to no obvious good effect is an embarrassment but understandable in the abstract. Im more than confused and more than surprised on this newfound interest on something that we have been talking about for four years, de Blasio said. Thrive entered a resetting phase two years after implementation, which focused on getting programs off the ground, McCray said on the Max & Murphy podcast in March 2018. Thats a misconception that people often have, she said. Does anybody know how well more likely, how poorly the co-mayors hugely expensive pre-K program is working, especially that portion consigned to the citys notoriously problematic not-for-profit sector? Only 570 of the estimated 12-15,000 mothers who experience postpartum depression have been reached by the program, Politico reported, a number NYC disputes. Ms. McCray, for example, seldom talks about Thrive without imploring audience to repeat the number of its mental health hotline, 1-888-NYC-WELL. The mental health initiative, known as ThriveNYC, is crucial to Ms. McCrays potential as a future political candidate, and has become increasingly important to Mr. de Blasio as he toys with a possible 2020 presidential bid. If were not addressing those two problems, then whatever we are doing is lacking, Eide said. We've received your submission. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's (D) wife backed a "mental health scheme" that has now cost taxpayers $850 million. That is, reversing Bloomberg administration plans to shut down 100 miserably malfunctioning schools, thus saving the jobs of barely competent teachers and administrators and shutting up small bands of noisy parents who loved the schools despite their failings. Zelensky Exposed (Literally): This Is The Guy We Are Sending Billions To? Everyone in life goes through something, said Stacey Hamilton, 52, a peer specialist and social worker, reassuring Mr. Abreu during a recent visit that he, too, could become a peer counselor and recalling her own history of mental illness and incarceration. And because Thrive encompasses a variety of initiatives some new, some already in existence across more than a dozen agencies, it is difficult to establish a central, line-item budget delineating how the city is spending taxpayer dollars on the program. They sent a whole army of police, said the father, who asked to be referred to only by his first name, Ralph, to protect his sons privacy. Press Esc to cancel. "This work is about the needs of the people of this city. That Stringer could sleep through it all is the real scandal; why does the city even have a comptroller, if thats the standard of performance? Things happen. POLITICO filed a records request for the programs line-item budget in October 2018, but the city has twice requested an extension. And while it sounds good to spend heavily on a mental health initiative, it appears that nobody has noticed any real benefits from that investment. Tap below and Follow @DailyNoahNewsthats me! Well, he didnt actually say rathole, and the price tag has doubtless been lowballed but he also had no credible explanation for the debacle, nor did he apologize for it. DE BLASIO EXTENDS STATE OF EMERGENCY IN NEW YORK FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS, "That article [referring to The City story]didn't take into account the work that's being done," de Blasio said. Some requested anonymity for fear of retaliation while others were more vocal in their critiques. The program, ThriveNYC, has fallen far behind its goals and appears to be a massive failure for the city. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Officials are also collecting survey data. Chirlane McCray can't explain where the $850m in funding has gone after it was given to the organization she runs, ThriveNYC. People are allowed to call anonymously, and the calls are confidential. Fast-forward to Wednesday, when the City Council was startled to discover that McCray and Team Thrive are closing in on having spent an eye-popping $900 million since the programs inception and nobody seems to have a clue on what. Now we have to shift into another phase.. We did not say everything would be perfect, burbled the co-mayor as if anybody outside his immediate orbit expected an outcome even close to competent. So, what are the right measures?. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Breaking, Federal Appeals Court Rules Ohio Can Enforce Ban on Aborting Babies With Down Syndrome, Biden, Dems Have Found a Creative New Way To Mess With The Election, They're Calling For Virtual Voting, Are You Working For CNN? Trump Goes Off On Fox News Reporter For Parroting Democrat Talking Points, Democrat Frontrunner Joe Biden Says His Running Mate Could Be Michigan Governor Whitmer, In One Of The Worst Moments In The History of TV News CNN Decided To Not Air Trump's Start To The Daily Briefing. Actually, first lady Chirlane McCray works hard for free, her husband Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday, and he is not happy about it. Type above and press Enter to search. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. ", Sometimes you look at a headline like this and think: "that can't possibly be true.". Meanwhile, the same number either closed or were merged with other schools while under the initiative. It seems that Mayor Bill de Blasio's wife (Chirlane McCray) headed a taxpayer-funded project called ThriveNYC and now she can not, or will not, account for $850 million in taxpayer money. Before the Thrive initiative, he said, there was not even a pretense of a mental health system in the city.. Something happened that triggered the need for me to go, she said without elaborating. To serve that population, the city is spending $12 million a year on the NYC-WELL hotline not including nearly $11 million spent on advertising in 2017, mostly to promote the service. Things happen. Bill de Blasio's wife can't account for staggering amount of taxpayer money that the NY Mayor gave her for mental health project . The call center, operated under city contract, took over the old Lower Manhattan offices of a city suicide hotline known as LifeNet, a service with calls that peaked at 105,000 in 2014. That it should happen in a single week is worse its an embarrassment. I think its safe to say that Bill DeBlasios presidential prospects are dead in the water before they even started. Thats because there never was any doubt what the program was about. Ms. McCray, who created and oversees ThriveNYC, faced tough questions on its performance and spending during a packed special hearing of the City Council on Tuesday. Bob McManusharshly assessed the programs effectiveness for the New York Post: So, ipso presto, co-Mayor Bill coughed up enough cash to break a pack mules back and sent it off to co-Mayor Chirlane who then went forth to cure Gothams mental-illness problems. It is not, in the end, just about money. Please share your thoughts about this article below. But also mayoral spouse Chirlane McCray, who has just been revealed as a world-class boondoggler in her own right. https://t.co/fqUIyfFc8Z. Besides the ramped-up spending, a big part of Thrive has been Ms. McCrays advocacy. The data comes from aPolitico report that shows those running the scheme have largely failed to measure its impact or keep track of spending. Another prominent element of Thrive is an expansion of mental health first aid training. We do have some outcomes. Updated: 02/27/2019 05:14 PM EST Since its inception in 2015, ThriveNYC the city's sprawling $850 million initiative to address a variety of mental health issues has operated without much. (VIDEO) Donald Trump Pitches Agenda 47: Create Freedom Cities. Thats because there never was any doubt what the program was about. Right up there with co-Mayor Bill, who started the week on his own sour note announcing that his signature Renewal school program was closing up shop after pounding $773 million down a rathole. Speaking to the Post,Queens Councilman Robert Holden told theNew York Post: "I like the fact that money is going toward mental health, but when they say we're seeing a benefit in all areas, I take exception to that, because I don't see it everywhere. Two locations have been selected, in East Harlem and the Bronx, but neither has opened yet. Thats because there never was any doubt what the program was about. I dont understand it because if someone is working full time and is a professional with a whole lot of background and applying themselves, I dont understand why they cant get paid, the mayor said during an unrelated press conference. Of the 78,000 newborn deliveries in the city annually, only 28,560 new mothers have been screened by the Thrive program. https://t.co/vQU2PxB7dg. One, fromfrom City Hall, showed $594million in spending, but a second, from the Independent Budget Office, showed $816milion. McCray acknowledged in October 2018 that the city does not often discuss Thrives programming for violent individuals due to stigma. (According to data provided by the city, surveys of about 10,000 callers to NYC-WELL since late 2016 found about 60 percent felt better after calling the number. Things happen. Borderline socialist New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasios wife has lost a staggering amount of money and now people are demanding answers. His wife, Chirlane McCray, was given $850 million for a mental health program she was spearheading, The Daily Mail reported. From Daily Mail: Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental . That is, nobody appears to have kept receipts; the subways and street corners are still overrun with crazy people, and nobody in charge knows whats to happen next. Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she champions has gone, according to reports. Fox News host Laura Ingraham called it a "mental health scheme." The fact is that a health program championed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's wife cannot account for $850 million taxpayer dollars. The programs at issue ostensibly are meant to assist particularly challenged people the helpless, often homeless, mentally ill and small children whose futures are forfeited because they landed in shamefully nonfunctional schools, an experience from which they will never recover. Seven mayors attended a 2017 national mental health conference in New York City. Well, he didnt actually say rathole, and the price tag has doubtless been lowballed but he also had no credible explanation for the debacle, nor did he apologize for it. Other measurements seemingly have nothing to do with the mental health of New Yorkers. She occasionally speaks of her own experience with therapy, and in the interview, she spoke obliquely of her brief return to treatment last year. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The City Hall budget shows $594 million in spending since ThriveNYCs inception. POLITICO spoke to more than 16 people, including elected officials, advocates, representatives of community organizations, researchers and consultants who said that although it is crucial for the city to invest in mental health resources, they did not know whether Thrive was successful and said the city has an obligation to publicize its numbers and how it compares to the goals it set out to accomplish. Think Stockholm syndrome, rolled into a big ball with the United Federation of Teachers. Weve actually built the first rational approach to the real scope and breadth of the need. The data also showed almost 190,000 Narcan kits were handed out to hospital where opioid use is common, but there is no evidence of how many were used. One frequent critic of the program said McCrays reticence in discussing violence related to mental health was a cop-out. De Blasio's wife can't account for $850m given to mental health scheme https://t.co/gTEJcrCeob via @MailOnline, NYC Mayor De Blasio's wife spent $900 million in taxpayer moneywith no record of how it was used https://t.co/UGe8liu6L0, De Blasio and co-mayor wife have wasted $1.8B of taxpayer moneyFrankly Im surprised its not much more considering these two incompetent lazy stoners are at the helm. An iron fist in a velvet glove, gov? How many other big-bucks initiatives are in similar straits is unknowable mostly because bureaucrats never blow the whistle on themselves and also because Gothams formal watchdog, city Comptroller Scott Stringer, is among the most incurious individuals ever to hold the office. De Blasio says the questions smack of sexism, that McCray is a key decision-maker, and it should come as no surprise that she plays a role in staff picks and high-profile initiatives. Dr. Belkin said that while suicide rates are not the best measure, the Health Department has been looking at trends in suicide attempts, based on emergency room visits. The aim of the scheme was to improve 100 of New York's worst schools, but after three years of trying, just 25 of them improved enough to make it off the list. Health Department employees now conduct the eight-hour classes daily at churches, community centers and schools, like this one at Metropolitan College of New York. De Blasio and 'co-mayor' wife have wasted $1.8B of taxpayer money Fast-forward to Wednesday, when the City Council was startled to discover that McCray and Team Thrive are closing in on having spent an eye-popping $900 million since the program's inception and nobody seems to have a clue on what. That is, reversing Bloomberg administration plans to shut down 100 miserably malfunctioning schools, thus saving the jobs of barely competent teachers and administrators and shutting up small bands of noisy parents who loved the schools despite their failings. Only 28,560 new mothers were screened between September 2016 and October 2018, according to Thrives data. So, ipso presto, co-Mayor Bill coughed up enough cash to break a pack mules back and sent it off to co-Mayor Chirlane who then went forth to cure Gothams mental-illness problems. You may opt out at anytime. How about the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort six years, uncountable delays and billions of dollars later? She has traveled the city urging New Yorkers, particularly in black and Hispanic communities, to open up and to erase the stigma around mental health. His wife, Chirlane McCray, was given $850 million for a mental health program she was spearheading, The Daily Mail reported. TheNY Postreports that among multiple failed programs and bad accounting, the figure is actually not $850 millionbut rather $1.8 BILLION! Folks, let me tell you something, if there truly is a scheme here and the money was intentionally misused or funnelled somewhere, that is criminal. De Blasio bemoans nepotism laws keeping his wife from collecting a City salary Chirlane McCray is the face of ThriveNYC an $850 million dollar administration initiative she helped design. Again, though, no data was available on the number of people referred or the outcomes of the treatment. Fast-forward to Wednesday, when the City Council was startled to discover that McCray and Team Thrive are closing in on havingspent an eye-popping $900 millionsince the programs inception and nobody seems to have a clue on what. That the co-mayors could fly under the radar to burn through $1.6 billion to no obvious good effect is an embarrassment but understandable in the abstract. Laura Ingraham has even called it a scheme. De Blasio's wife can't account for $850m given to mental health scheme https://t.co/gTEJcrCeob via @MailOnline, Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) March 1, 2019, NYC Mayor De Blasio's wife spent $900 million in taxpayer moneywith no record of how it was used https://t.co/UGe8liu6L0, De Blasio and co-mayor wife have wasted $1.8B of taxpayer money, Frankly Im surprised its not much more considering these two incompetent lazy stoners are at the helm. During the hearing, Ms. McCray distanced herself from the operations of the program, and left it to Ms. Herman and a budget official to answer many of the more specific questions. Bill de Blasio's wife can't account for staggering amount of taxpayer money that the NY Mayor gave her for mental health project Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she champions has gone, according to reports. Thank you! New York City Mayor Bill de Blasios wife, Chirlane McCray, was given $900 million to start a mental health initiative focusing on helping the homeless in the city. The Thrive program, which had its budget raised to $250 million per year in 2019, has produced some underwhelming numbers in terms of how many people it impacts. The officers eventually brought him to Elmhurst Hospital, nearby. However, according to current and former employees in the Mayors office -- and public records --McCrays staff makes closer to $2 million. De Blasio and co-mayor wife have wasted $1.8B of taxpayer money, Frankly Im surprised its not much more considering these two incompetent lazy stoners are at the helm. It is not, in the end, just about money. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's wife, Chirlane McCray, was given $900 million to start a mental health initiative focusing on helping the homeless in the city. https://t.co/fqUIyfFc8Z, John Naturally Immune Cardillo (@johncardillo) March 1, 2019. In an interview with POLITICO in August, she acknowledged Thrive had not yet released data on its performance related to its mental health hotline, NYC Well. But if she were getting paid, people would likely question whether he appointed her to a paid position to enrich his family if shes not getting paid, then everyone knows hes not doing it to enrich his family.. McCray's organization is now on track to spend $1 billion over five years. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to theNew York Post. This news comes as the mayor is consideringlaying off up to 22,000 municipal workers in the falldue to budget constraints related to COVID-19. (Hes kind of busy, she said. There is a program NYC Safe that is embedded into the criminal justice and homeless services agencies to connect high-risk individuals to outpatient treatment, according to a 2015 city announcement. Claim Your Free Trump 2020 Hat - Just Cover Shipping Poof. Helping the seriously mentally ill remains a challenge, especially in a crisis. Sign up for our free email newsletter, and we'll make sure to keep you in the loop. You wish Kathy! Just this week, McCray sat side-by-side with de Blasio as he presented his newly appointed public schools chancellor and on Thursday she is slated to co-host a town hall with the mayor on gun violence in schools. You should choose to work on something that you would do without pay, she said. The data also showed almost 190,000 Narcan kits were handed out to hospital where opioid use is common, but there is no evidence of how many were used. We dont have everything, but we do have quite a bit.. The City Council discovered this shocking amount of potential waste during a meeting Wednesday. The mayor, for his part, has brushed off questions about his wifes activities in his administration, making no apologies for her high-level role in city business. Does anybody know how well more likely, how poorly the co-mayors hugely expensive pre-K program is working, especially that portion consigned to the citys notoriously problematic not-for-profit sector? @NYCMayor and 'co-mayor' wife @NYCFirstLady have wasted $1.8B of taxpayer money https://t.co/gT7Lb67zI0, Brooklyn Republicans (@KingsCountyGOP) March 1, 2019, https://twitter.com/CGasparino/status/1101548456999616512, "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion." The City Council discovered this shocking amount of potential waste during a meeting Wednesday. She is routinely visible around de Blasio at times when he is making high profile announcements and administration appointments. It is crazy and ridiculous when someone gets funded $850 million and I dont get a response right away, he said, adding later, If you have a service, you have to respond to that service otherwise, close up.. Read our full Disclosure. Trump threatens to send federal agents to New York City if Bill de Blasio can't stop the violence, Whitmer's $79B budget proposal chock full of protections for equity, inclusion and 'reproductive freedom', Sununu pushes back on DeSantis' crusade against 'woke' corporations: 'That's not what Republicans are about', These Biden administration agencies have admitted COVID lab leak is plausible, Utah Gov. If this is the highest level of care, she asked, how many success stories are there really?, Chirlane McCray, de Blasios Wife, Is Questioned Over His Revolutionary $1 Billion Mental Health Plan, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/nyregion/thrivenyc-mental-health-.html. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. ", CHIRLANE MCCRAY ENJOYS $2M STAFF OF 14 AMID NYC BUDGET CRISIS, He added, "The mental health crisis is much deeper because of the coronavirus, across the whole city, that's one of the things she's been working on intensely, but also as the co-chair of the internal task force this extraordinary task force on racial inclusion that has been moving big policy changes.". .hustle-ui.hustle_module_id_1[data-id="1"] .hustle-layout .hustle-button-cta {width:100%!important;font-size:18px!important;}.hustle-ui.module_id_1 .hustle-popup-content {max-width: 400px!important;}.hustle-group-content p {font-size:18px!important;margin: 24px 0 0!important;}.hustle-content-wrap{padding-bottom:0!important;}, We may receive compensation from affiliate partners for some links on this site. Later, she wondered aloud whether her work with men like Mr. Abreu would be enough. Thank you for contacting us. It was not as obvious what I, as first lady, would take on; I wanted to take on something big, Ms. McCray said in the interview. Advertisement - story continues below Of the 78,000 newborn deliveries in the city annually, only 28,560 new mothers have been screened by the Thrive program. We need all agencies involved in this issue because all agencies touch it, Belkin said. De Blasio insisted McCray is just as available to questions as he is, despite a majority of the first ladys events having no question and answer period. How many other big-bucks initiatives are in similar straits is unknowable mostly because bureaucrats never blow the whistle on themselves and also because Gothams formal watchdog, city Comptroller Scott Stringer, is among the most incurious individuals ever to hold the office.