People are being asked to do more in this system that is not built for expansion, he said. , updated But there are other mysteries out there, too. Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850 million given to the mental health program she champions has gone, according to reports. 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. The biggest challenge for Mr. de Blasio and Ms. McCray has been to identify concrete results. Legal Statement. Ms. McCray implores those she meets to take the course, which includes discussions and role playing. 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. 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. Thank you for contacting us. 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. New York is supposed to be better than that. 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. Only 28,560 new mothers were screened between September 2016 and October 2018, according to Thrives data. Hey, the family that preys together stays together, right? That is, once upon a time, first spouses were content to pretend to be in charge of prettifying highways and things. 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. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion! Borderline socialist New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasios wife has lost a staggering amount of money and now people are demanding answers. 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? Tap here to add The Western Journal to your home screen. 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. Bob McManus is a contributing editor of City Journal. The data comes from aPolitico report that shows those running the scheme have largely failed to measure its impact or keep track of spending. 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. However, it does not show whether programs met or surpassed their goals, and whether New Yorkers are better off for it. Zelensky Exposed (Literally): This Is The Guy We Are Sending Billions To? And its only (your) money even if it is quite a lot of it. He receives regular visits from a psychiatrist and a peer counselor. Completing this poll entitles you to our news updates free of charge. Speaking to the Post,Queens Councilman Robert Holden told the New 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. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. But there are other mysteries out there, too. Think Stockholm syndrome, rolled into a big ball with the United Federation of Teachers. And even some experienced in mental health services have been surprised at what the service does not offer. 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. McCray, who is reportedly looking torun for Brooklyn borough president, has a staff of 14 people,sources told The CIty. McCray acknowledged in October 2018 that the city does not often discuss Thrives programming for violent individuals due to stigma. 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. Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she champions has gone, according to reports. 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. But lets be clear: If your boondogglery sets the New York City Council back on its heels, you truly are soaring with the eagles. I think it's safe to say that Bill DeBlasio's presidential prospects are dead in the water before they even started. 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. 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? Chirlane McCray, the wife of NYC mayor Bill de Blasio, can't account for hundreds of millions in federal taxpayer money. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. She took a mental health first aid course in October 2014. So far, she has not been able to get the mayor to take it. A retired psychiatric social worker dialed NYC-WELL last year hoping for a nonpolice response for his 37-year-old son, who had been making threats and had a history of manic episodes. 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. While this may appear to be a good idea to spend a lot of money on a mental health effort, it appears that no one has seen any actual results. She is routinely visible around de Blasio at times when he is making high profile announcements and administration appointments. Read our full Disclosure. Chirlane McCray can't explain where the $850m in funding has gone after it was given to the organizationshe runs, ThriveNYC. But weve built the structure that can get us there.. 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. 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. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]. One, fromfrom City Hall, showed $594million in spending, but a second, from the Independent Budget Office, showed $816milion. At the same time, some initiatives failed to get started, while others placed unrealistic demands on already strained mental health services. 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. As a result, the program reached just 570 women who had been diagnosed with postpartum depression a sliver of the 12,000 to 15,000 McCray estimated are affected each year. https://t.co/fqUIyfFc8Z, John Cardillo (@johncardillo) March 1, 2019, 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, . It's gone. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. 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. 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. It was honorable work, it didnt cost very much and it filled up the spouses free time. The city would not make McCray available for a recent interview. Mayor Bill de Blasio's Wife Loses $850 Million Dollars. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. For instance, Thrive calculates how many mayors attended a national conference on mental health just seven when New York City hosted it in 2017. It is not, in the end, just about money. Thats because there never was any doubt what the program was about. 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. Even as the city has poured money into mental health programs and training, nonprofit directors said they still struggle with providing treatment, citing inadequate Medicaid reimbursement rates and even less generous reimbursements from commercial insurers. 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.. The biggest challenge for Mr. de Blasio and Ms.. 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. Are we there yet? 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. Were US Rail Workers Instructed to Bypass Railcar Safety Inspections? 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. Sign up for our free email newsletter, and we'll make sure to keep you in the loop. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Aides to McCray said, despite the limited format, she typically makes herself available for pull aside interviews at the event. In the case of diversion programs, which aim to keep individuals with mental health and substance use problems in treatment instead of jails, Thrive only tracks the number of people released under supervision and those screened during pre-arraignment not if or how city-funded intervention worked. Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she . 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? 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. . According to the New York Post, no one seems to know what that money was utilised for after four years. POLITICO filed a records request for the programs line-item budget in October 2018, but the city has twice requested an extension. Social media ads promoting Thrive have reached millions of people, according to the metrics, but the data doesnt show how many people actually used the program after learning about it. Among the concerns raised were that she is not subject to questions from the press or many disclosure requirements, as a government official would be. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Black Democrat DA tells the truth on crime, but progressives won't listen. Some have closed their doors; others have chosen to stop providing mental health services. Both City Hall and IBO suspect the Office of Management and Budget included fewer programs in the City Hall version, accounting for the difference. In fact, the mayor said Wednesday, McCray should get paid, but for widely accepted nepotism rules forbidding such an arrangement. | Demetrius Freeman/Mayoral Photography Office. I'm not sure anybody does.'. Helping the seriously mentally ill remains a challenge, especially in a crisis. Ms. McCray, for example, seldom talks about Thrive without imploring audience to repeat the number of its mental health hotline, 1-888-NYC-WELL. But he bemoaned the inadequacy of state funding, and called the citys contracting process broken. Benedy Abreu, right, is in a program funded through Thrive to help those with serious mental illness and a criminal past. Meanwhile, de Blasio announced earlier this week that he is mothballing his failed Renewal school program after spending $773million. Information provided by City Hall shows McCray held 19 media-related events, including one-on-one interviews with specific outlets and public speaking sessions. 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? TheNY Postreports that among multiple failed programs and bad accounting, the figure is actually not $850 millionbut rather $1.8 billion. Another prominent element of Thrive is an expansion of mental health first aid training. The government could decide not to have a nepotism restriction but it would come with costs like undermining the public trust, Clark said. Of those 7,811 referrals for people with serious mental illness meaning they can be a risk to themselves or others Thrive does not track whether those individuals received care or continued with it. The mayor has a point in this individual case it may seem unfair because shes working, and lets assume she is doing a good job, Clark said. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. Susan Herman does the day-to-day management and makes the decisions, Ms. McCray said when asked about her role, adding that her role was to amplify ThriveNYCs message to the public., Pressed on how much of the programs budget went to the seriously mentally ill, Ms. McCray responded by questioning how that category is defined. JUST RELEASED: Phone Call To Chinese Manufacturer Requesting a Bulk Classic Video of Donald Trump on Larry King In 1987 Democrats Hiding That John Fetterman is Brain Dead to Prevent Special Election? 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. The City Council discovered this shocking amount of potential waste during a meeting Wednesday. Over the next four years, Ms. McCray would transform herself into a mental health evangelist. The city said that was a function of the programs design. That is, no one appears to have kept receipts; the subways and street corners are still crawling with lunatics, and no one in control knows what will happen next. For example, 29 hospitals had agreed to screen almost 78,000 new mothers for post-natal depression each year as part of the scheme. 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. 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. 2023 Ghanafuo.com & DM Network. Tap below and Follow @DailyNoahNewsthats me! Now we have to shift into another phase.. That escalated the situation, he said. Not all of the programs in her plan were new. As of 2022, the amount has not been accounted for. You may opt out at anytime. It was honorable work, it didnt cost very much and it filled up the spouses free time. 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. ", 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.". We dont have everything, but we do have quite a bit.. 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. Thrive said it has developed a list of 417 metrics to measure how effective the program is moving forward, but asked to assess its impact so far, Politico said the data was piecemeal and showed a largely failing picture. The service also includes text and web chat. That is, once upon a time, first spouses were content to pretend to be in charge of prettifying highways and things. That visibility has led to questions this week by Errol Louis of NY1s Inside City Hall over her role. "I'm not sure anybody does.". 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. 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. 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. A university finally stands up to woke virtue signaling, GOPers stand up for life and against AG Merrick Garland, Biden's WHO pandemic treaty would kill Americans in the name of 'equity', Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, US home prices just did something they haven't done since 2012, Tom Sandoval breaks silence on Ariana Madix split amid cheating claims. Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she champions has gone, according to reports. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. During a meeting,the City Council learned this astounding amount of potential waste. The site said it had tried and failed to acquire a line-item budget from Thrive, and the two budget breakdowns it had seen showed wildly different numbers. That is, once upon a time, first spouses were content to pretend to be in charge of prettifying highways and things. Please check your email inbox to confirm your message and send it to our editorial team. 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. Besides the ramped-up spending, a big part of Thrive has been Ms. McCrays advocacy. I dont know if we have them available yet, but we certainly are tracking what people are calling about, what theyre asking for, and as much demographic information as we can, McCray said. Is Kathy Hochul's governorship already beyond redemption? Things happen. 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. How about the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort six years, uncountable delays and billions of dollars later? (Hes kind of busy, she said. 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. His wife, Chirlane McCray, was given $850 million for a mental health program she was spearheading, The Daily Mail reported. An iron fist in a velvet glove, gov? 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. Kathleen Clark, a government ethics expert at the Washington University School of Law, said the legal rationale to keep McCray from collecting a salary is more than clear, but conceded there was a level of unfairness to the first ladys specific arrangement. Where did Russell Senior go to college and high school? I bet you're never seen this story reported on the nightly newsbut don't worry, we'll show it to you! Bill de Blasio's Wife Can't Account For $850 Million Collected How about the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort six years, uncountable delays and billions of dollars later? Withoutrecords, the schemeis unable to pinpoint where the missing funding has been allocated, if at all. Nearly 100 Democrats Introduce Bill to Block Trump's Travel Ban, Trump's executive order rejecting the US's refugee programme to be reversed, Candace Owens Shreds Democrats During House Committee Hearing: WATCH, Leader of the #Blexit movement - to leave the Democratic Party - blasts top Dems, Pelosi Blasts 'Queen Bee' AOC for Dragging Democrats to Radical Left, Speaker unloads of Democratic Party progressives during interview, AOC Turns on 'Divisive' Ex-Chief of Staff; Says He 'Targeted' Moderate Democrats, Ocasio-Cortez blames Saikrat Chakrabarti for tensions between Squad and top Dems, Abbott Crushes Democrats: Supreme Court Denies Request to Restore Pay after Walkout, Biden Claims Economic Success as U.S Enters Recession: 'We Are on the Right Path', DC Mayor Deploys National Guard: Illegal Immigration at 'Tipping Point' in Capital, Biden Agrees to Close Gaps in Border Wall as Migrant Crisis Hits DC, Alec Baldwin's Wife Complains 'Enemies' of Husband 'Seek to Destroy' Him, Concert Canceled after 'Woke' Mob Complained about White Performer's Dreadlocks, Bill Barr: 'Hunter Biden Investigation Warrants a Special Counsel', [RELATED] Democrats Pass Bill to Fund College for Illegal Immigrants with Taxpayer Money, Chris Pratt Drops the Hammer on Cancel Mob as Anti-Woke 'The Terminal List' Soars to Number 1, Joe Biden Confronted Over Child Molesting Claims At CSPAN LIVE Event, Police: Satan-Worshiping Schoolgirls Plotted to Kill 15 Students, Drink Their Blood, 5 Things to Know About the Democrats Rebuttal to Nunes Memo. Its a big city, there must be thousands of OB-GYN providers in communities, in isolated offices. SheisalsothechairmanoftheMayorsFundtoAdvanceNewYorkCityandtheexecutivedirectorofThriveNYC. @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." Hey, the family that preys together stays together, right? The officers eventually brought him to Elmhurst Hospital, nearby. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. 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. Council Member Chaim Deutsch, chair of the veterans committee, along with two other Council members, said the veterans program had failed to materialize in their districts. 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. She occasionally speaks of her own experience with therapy, and in the interview, she spoke obliquely of her brief return to treatment last year. So far, almost all of the information on follow-up care comes from the limited cases in which a social worker and psychiatrist have been sent to visit the person. But the co-mayor made performance promises when he initiated the Renewal program, few of which even remotely were met, and presently gravity prevailed: The program caved in on itself. But the interaction is not therapy, cautioned Dr. Anitha Iyer, who helps oversee the call center. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The data delineates each program within Thrive and tries to measure the initiatives reach within a given timeline. 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. Please share your thoughts about this article below. The MIDD progress report also explains how well each program was executed, what challenges were faced and the outcomes. Market data provided by Factset. The new focus for the program is the second time the city has attempted to retrain Thrives focus. In the three years it has been running, organizers at ThriveNYC have largely failed to keep records of the initiative's achievements - and data that has been collected shows it lagging well behind targets. Im not sure anybody does.. De Blasio did not say hed pursue a change in the law and acknowledged there were good historical reasons for the rule. According to the New York Post, no one seems to know what that money was utilised for after four years. 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. We cant have a universality in this from day one, he added. I think its safe to say that Bill DeBlasios presidential prospects are dead in the water before they even started. That two such scandals should bubble to the surface unannounced is bad enough. 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. Two locations have been selected, in East Harlem and the Bronx, but neither has opened yet. 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. 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. Weve actually built the first rational approach to the real scope and breadth of the need. ", Sometimes you look at a headline like this and think: "that can't possibly be true.". When youre thinking about performance, theres both outcome and output, said Ana Champeny, director of city studies at the Citizens Budget Commission. 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. 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. Since its inception in 2015, ThriveNYC the citys sprawling $850 million initiative to address a variety of mental health issues has operated without much scrutiny or accountability. But the vast majority of city spending on the program goes to more than 40 other endeavors, such as a crime victim advocate program; social and emotional learning in public schools; and a corps of young behavioral health clinicians paid by the city to work at nonprofits for three years. McCray is the proprietress of ThriveNYC, a mental-health-related something-or-other created four-plus years ago to give a little heft to the conceit that Bill and Chirlane were elected as co-mayors which is nonsense on stilts. (Some are repeat callers, with a few who call as many as 200 times a day.). 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. We've received your submission. Last month, McCray and de Blasio announced the appointment of Deputy Mayor Phil Thompson together.