A spreadsheet of nearly 500 data points tracked by City Hall included almost none related to patient outcomes. 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. 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. Two budget breakdowns acquired by POLITICO one from City Hall and one from the Independent Budget Office show significant differences in spending. Seven mayors attended a 2017 national mental health conference in New York City. 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. That two such scandals should bubble to the surface unannounced is bad enough. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, That visibility has led to questions this week by Errol Louis of NY1s Inside City Hall over her role. He was told a team like that could not come for at least a day, maybe two; for immediate help, call 911. In fact, the mayor said Wednesday, McCray should get paid, but for widely accepted nepotism rules forbidding such an arrangement. Are we there yet? TheNY Postreports that among multiple failed programs and bad accounting, the figure is actually not $850 millionbut rather $1.8 BILLION! 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. 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. We do have some outcomes. Where did Russell Senior go to college and high school? The mayor and first lady have falsely declared stigma rather than lack of services as being the major barrier faced by the seriously mentally ill thereby justifying the diversion of funds to public relations campaigns rather than services, DJ Jaffe, executive director of Mental Illness Policy Organization, an advocacy group, wrote in an email. 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. I like the fact that money is going toward mental health, but when they say were seeing a benefit in all areas, I take exception to that, because I dont see it everywhere, Queens Councilman Robert Holden told The Post. Despite that, the program has been granted an even bigger budget going forward and is now on track to spend $1billion over five years. That first year, she began talking with Dr. Belkin. or redistributed. 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. Thats because there never was any doubt what the program was about. Think Stockholm syndrome, rolled into a big ball with the United Federation of Teachers. Chirlane McCray, the wife of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, was awarded $900 million to launch a mental health project aimed at assisting the city's homeless. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Black Democrat DA tells the truth on crime, but progressives won't listen. I think its safe to say that Bill DeBlasios presidential prospects are dead in the water before they even started. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. 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. The wife of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio "can't account for" $850 million in missing taxpayer money that was granted to her mental health project, according to reports. The biggest challenge for Mr. de Blasio and Ms. McCray has been to identify concrete results. 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. The service also includes text and web chat. Despite the worrying misuse of taxpayermoney highlighted by the revelations, the government has granted a huge increasein the project's budget going forward. Borderline socialist New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasios wife has lost a staggering amount of money and now people are demanding answers. The MIDD progress report also explains how well each program was executed, what challenges were faced and the outcomes. 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. 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, . His wife, Chirlane McCray, was given $850 million for a mental health program she was spearheading, The Daily Mail reported. Seven mayors attended a 2017 national mental health conference in New York City. 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. It was honorable work, it didnt cost very much and it filled up the spouses free time. Facebook is heavily censoring information from independent sources. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion! You wish Kathy! The father asked for a psychiatrist and a social worker to be sent to the home. 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. https://twitter.com/davej08/status/1101441406667771904, https://twitter.com/WNYGeek81/status/1101500859299627008, harshly assessed the program's effectiveness. Borderline socialist New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio's wife has lost a staggering amount of money and now people are demanding answers. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. We dont have everything, but we do have quite a bit.. Its wrong, and it needs to stop, Reynoso said. And even some experienced in mental health services have been surprised at what the service does not offer. For example, 29 hospitals had agreed to screen almost 78,000 new mothers for post-natal depression each year as part of the scheme. This story has been shared 175,437 times. The program, ThriveNYC, has fallen far behind its goals and appears to be a massive failure for the city. 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. Meanwhile, the same number either closed or were merged with other schools while under the initiative. Good thing it wasn't an even $1 billion, huh? That is, once upon a time, first spouses were content to pretend to be in charge of prettifying highways and things. One frequent critic of the program said McCrays reticence in discussing violence related to mental health was a cop-out. ), One indicator of the need for services: The phones at NYC-WELL ring constantly, 180,000 times in 2018, according to city data. But even in spite of that the city has decided to increase the budget of the program which is expected to spend $5 billion in the next five years. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. Arizona Hospital Temporarily Suspends Admission of Cardiac Arrest Patients Due Democrats Hiding That John Fetterman is Brain Dead to Prevent Special Election? City officials, for example, could not say how many people have been connected to treatment after calling the citys new mental health hotline, because fewer than 10 percent agree to a follow-up. McCrays office provided The CIty with names of eight full-time employees whose salaries added up to about $1.1 million. 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. Think Stockholm syndrome, rolled into a big ball with the United Federation of Teachers. If you love what we do, please consider a $1/month donation to keep us live! With over 22,000 layoffs of city workers looming, the mayor cant seriously expect to keep funding full-time, highly paid speechwriters and professional videographers for his wifes political ambitions. 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. The outcome has not come close to reaching the goal. Click here to log out. Health Department employees now conduct the eight-hour classes daily at churches, schools and community centers. What are some fun facts about Wayne Shorter? Things happen. Thrive NYC is really best understood as a tale of two cities initiative, said Stephen Eide, a senior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute and an expert on homelessness and urban policy. Withoutrecords, the schemeis unable to pinpoint where the missing funding has been allocated, if at all. At the same time, some initiatives failed to get started, while others placed unrealistic demands on already strained mental health services. Thrive would then refer them to counseling, which is considered an effective way to treat the problem. De Blasio did not say hed pursue a change in the law and acknowledged there were good historical reasons for the rule. Bill de Blasio wife: Meet Chirlane McCray. 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. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. Thank you for contacting us. It is a hard thing to measure, because its never existed before, Ms. McCray said in an interview at Gracie Mansion last month. 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. The officers eventually brought him to Elmhurst Hospital, nearby. That is, once upon a time, first spouses were content to pretend to be in charge of prettifying highways and things. 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. It was honorable work, it didnt cost very much and it filled up the spouses free time. Zelensky Exposed (Literally): This Is The Guy We Are Sending Billions To? (Separately, the Health Department spends nearly 10 times as much on the seriously mentally ill.), Ms. Herman stressed more than once during the hearing that Thrive was not a new mental health system. That message contrasted one repeated by Mr. de Blasio, including during a radio interview on Friday. POLITICO filed a records request for the programs line-item budget in October 2018, but the city has twice requested an extension. 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. Representatives from four advocacy and service organizations said that Thrive does not fund greater access to inpatient treatment or intensive outpatient services for those with serious mental illnesses, further burdening the social safety net. The phones at NYC-WELL ring constantly, 180,000 times in 2018, according to city data. All registered. 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. (Some are repeat callers, with a few who call as many as 200 times a day.). Sign up for our free email newsletter, and we'll make sure to keep you in the loop. Sign up for our free email newsletter, and we'll make sure to keep you in the loop. . 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. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she champions has gone, according to reports. Thats because there never was any doubt what the program was about. 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. 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. For Thrive, not only is it difficult to measure impact, but it is also hard to tell how much funding each initiative receives. Tap below and Follow @DailyNoahNewsthats me! Things happen. 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. We cant have a universality in this from day one, he added. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to theNew York Post. All rights reserved. Chris Pleasance for MailOnline, Surge of $100 bills in circulation is linked to criminals around the world trying to hide their money, Michelle Obama rules out running for president because she wants to 'make room' for next generation and reveals she 'sobbed for 30 minutes' during last flight on Air Force One, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' 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. Thank you! 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 . Bob McManus harshly assessed the program's effectivenessfor the New York Post: The NY Post reports that among multiple failed programs and "bad accounting", the figure is actually not $850 million but rather $1.8 BILLION! 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. 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. 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. Public health officials credit the plan for drawing attention to mental health, often too easily ignored by political leaders. 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. 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. 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. 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. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. (Hes kind of busy, she said. Insight from Dr. Oscar Odom, former NYPD detective. Read our full Disclosure. Chirlane McCray, the wife of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, wasawarded $900 million to launch a mental health project aimed at assisting the citys homeless. Ms. McCray implores those she meets to take the course, which includes discussions and role playing. Were US Rail Workers Instructed to Bypass Railcar Safety Inspections? 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. He receives regular visits from a psychiatrist and a peer counselor. https://t.co/oKaowNxGjT #NYC #DeBlasio, Michael E. Newton (@MichaelENewton1) March 1, 2019, What a waste these two are.De Blasio and 'co-mayor' wife have wasted $1.8B of taxpayer money https://t.co/85S88hQUuq via @nypost, MyLivesGoUpTo11 (@AlexStrayCat_) March 1, 2019, Chirlane McCoy (DeBlasio) spends $850 MILLION & can't account for it???? ", Sometimes you look at a headline like this and think: "that can't possibly be true.". 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. While it plans to be more deliberate in the future, Thrive staff did not provide internal goals or benchmarks by which to judge its progress to this point. 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. 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. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion! It is not, in the end, just about money. Now we have to shift into another phase.. For example, 29 hospitals had agreed to screen almost 78,000 new mothers for post-natal depression each year as part of the scheme. TheNY Postreports that among multiple failed programs and bad accounting, the figure is actually not $850 millionbut rather $1.8 billion. .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. People are being asked to do more in this system that is not built for expansion, he said. 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. 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. She occasionally speaks of her own experience with therapy, and in the interview, she spoke obliquely of her brief return to treatment last year. 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. Meanwhile, de Blasio announced earlier this week that he is mothballing his failed Renewal school program after spending $773million. 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. The City Council discovered this shocking amount of potential waste during a meeting Wednesday. When youre thinking about performance, theres both outcome and output, said Ana Champeny, director of city studies at the Citizens Budget Commission. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. I first saw the story online under the title: Bill DeBlasios Wife Reportedly Loses $850 Million of Taxpayer Funds!, Sometimes you look at a headline like this and think: that cant possibly be true.. 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. 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. An iron fist in a velvet glove, gov? 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. "I'm not sure anybody does.". 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. 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. 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. (VIDEO) Donald Trump Pitches Agenda 47: Create Freedom Cities. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. She is routinely visible around de Blasio at times when he is making high profile announcements and administration appointments. 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. But the interaction is not therapy, cautioned Dr. Anitha Iyer, who helps oversee the call center. For example, 29 hospitals had agreed to screen almost 78,000 new mothers for post-natal depression each year as part of the scheme.

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