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 . 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. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion! One, fromfrom City Hall, showed $594million in spending, but a second, from the Independent Budget Office, showed $816milion. https://t.co/fqUIyfFc8Z, John Naturally Immune Cardillo (@johncardillo) March 1, 2019. 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. 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. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. That two such scandals should bubble to the surface unannounced is bad enough. Thrive is really corrective to the narrowness with which we approach this issue, which leaves a lot of people without care, a lot of people untouched, a lot of people not getting what they need, and its precisely the need to widen it that were trying to fix.. Budget watchdogs have lamented Thrives opacity. It was honorable work, it didnt cost very much and it filled up the spouses free time. 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. 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. 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. 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. You should choose to work on something that you would do without pay, she said. Public health officials credit the plan for drawing attention to mental health, often too easily ignored by political leaders. https://t.co/fqUIyfFc8Z. De Blasio did not say hed pursue a change in the law and acknowledged there were good historical reasons for the rule. Hey, the family that preys together stays together, right? (Hes kind of busy, she said. , updated TheNY Postreports that among multiple failed programs and bad accounting, the figure is actually not $850 millionbut rather $1.8 BILLION! Bill de Blasio wife: Meet Chirlane McCray. 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? Are we there yet? 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. 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. Please share your thoughts about this article below. Bill de Blasio's wife cant account for $850 million allocated to her pet project. 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. Of the 78,000 newborn deliveries in the city annually, only 28,560 new mothers have been screened by the Thrive program. The service also includes text and web chat. We dont have everything, but we do have quite a bit.. But there are other mysteries out there, too. 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. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. During a recent visit, a screen played YouTube videos of adorable animals, to help soothe staff members who work in sound-dampened cubicles. Information provided by City Hall shows McCray held 19 media-related events, including one-on-one interviews with specific outlets and public speaking sessions. Thats because there never was any doubt what the program was about. Not all of the programs in her plan were new. 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. But she cant get paid, so she is doing it as a volunteer.. 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.. 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. Again, though, no data was available on the number of people referred or the outcomes of the treatment. If we want to reach all these women, we need to start somewhere. 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, 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. McCrayiswellknownforbeingthewifeofBilldeBlasio,themayorofNewYorkCity,aswellashisclosestadvisor. With Thrive, spending rose to $346 million in fiscal year 2018, according to an analysis by the City Council. 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. 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. 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. It promotes that misconception that too many people have, that people who have mental illness or people suffering from substance use disorders are violent, which is not true, she said at a health care conference. 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! Press Esc to cancel. Its wrong, and it needs to stop, Reynoso said. 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. 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. Think Stockholm syndrome, rolled into a big ball with the United Federation of Teachers. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]. We've received your submission. He was told a team like that could not come for at least a day, maybe two; for immediate help, call 911. Powerful personality ChirlaneMcCrayisapoliticalfigureintheUnitedStates,aswellasawriter,communicationsexpert,editor,andactivist. At least one stat the program tracks showed underperformance in an area of particular importance to McCray. This story has been shared 121,909 times. Its revolutionary, Mr. de Blasio told CNNs Symone Sanders during a recent forum at Harvard University. Legal Statement. Two locations have been selected, in East Harlem and the Bronx, but neither has opened yet. Tap here to add The Western Journal to your home screen. 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. New York has given up on policing drugs, and the city suffers, David Paterson is right Mayor Adams needs to get tougher. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Black Democrat DA tells the truth on crime, but progressives won't listen. 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. I bet you're never seen this story reported on the nightly newsbut don't worry, we'll show it to you! Market data provided by Factset. 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. 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. Mayor Bill de Blasio's Wife Loses $850 Million Dollars. SheisalsothechairmanoftheMayorsFundtoAdvanceNewYorkCityandtheexecutivedirectorofThriveNYC. Now we have to shift into another phase.. 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. All registered. Its about trying to give people who are socioeconomically disadvantaged access to the same kind of mental health care that people in upper middle income or affluent communities have enjoyed as a matter of course for a very long time.. That escalated the situation, he 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. Ms. McCray implores those she meets to take the course, which includes discussions and role playing. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to theNew York Post. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. 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. ", 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.". She took a mental health first aid course in October 2014. .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. 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. 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. Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox for free every day by signing up below. 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. But he bemoaned the inadequacy of state funding, and called the citys contracting process broken. 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. The man, Benedy Abreu, 31, served five years in prison and is now in a program funded through Thrive to help those with serious mental illness and a criminal past. The MIDD progress report also explains how well each program was executed, what challenges were faced and the outcomes. I think its safe to say that Bill DeBlasios presidential prospects are dead in the water before they even started. But there are other mysteries out there, too. But problems with the citys initial proposals delayed the process, those involved said. 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. Of the 78,000 newborn deliveries in the city annually, only 28,560 new mothers have been screened by the Thrive program. He now regularly names Thrive as one of his administrations core achievements. 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. . Read our full Disclosure. 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. Heres How (and When) To Watch President Trump At CPAC. "I'm not sure anybody does.". Meanwhile, the same number either closed or were merged with other schools while under the initiative. All rights reserved. Thrive would then refer them to counseling, which is considered an effective way to treat the problem. Bill de Blasio's Wife Can't Account For $850 Million Collected Now, a year later, the city is rejiggering the program once again to include a centralized office and further engrain the initiatives into city agencies to ensure that Thrive outlasts the de Blasio administration. TheNY Postreports that among multiple failed programs and bad accounting, the figure is actually not $850 millionbut rather $1.8 billion. 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. Last month, McCray and de Blasio announced the appointment of Deputy Mayor Phil Thompson together. Bill de Blasio's wife can't account for staggering amount of taxpayer money that the NY Mayor gave her for mental health project . An iron fist in a velvet glove, gov? For example, 29 hospitals had agreed to screen almost 78,000 new mothers for post-natal depression each year as part of the scheme. Read our full Disclosure. 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. 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. So its a mater of choosing your poison do you choose the additional income or keeping your credibility with the public?. If were not addressing those two problems, then whatever we are doing is lacking, Eide said. 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. Deutsch said it also took Thrive weeks to get back to him about training his constituents in Mental Health First Aid a free, eight-hour course that helps individuals identify and respond to mental illness. Thrives two-year report, released in February 2018, offers cumulative data, like the number of medical professionals trained to prescribe treatment for opioid use. The money was going to NYC's Thrive program for people with mental health problems that is overseen by McCray. https://t.co/vQU2PxB7dg. How about the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort six years, uncountable delays and billions of dollars later? 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. 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. Thrive also is meant to focus on communities African Americans, Latinos, military veterans who are less likely to seek care for mental health problems. And its only (your) money even if it is quite a lot of it. Heres How (and When) To Watch President Trump At CPAC. Tap below and Follow @DailyNoahNewsthats me! 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. You're logged in to Facebook. At the same time, some initiatives failed to get started, while others placed unrealistic demands on already strained mental health services. Its safe again and were having a lot of fun over there. I first saw the story online under the title: "Bill DeBlasio's Wife Reportedly Loses $850 Million of Taxpayer Funds! Hey, the family that preys together stays together, right? 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. Chirlane McCray can't explain where the $850m in funding has gone after it was given to the organization she runs, ThriveNYC. But that kind of programming wont address institutional problems like homelessness and serious mental illness, which are financial and safety burdens to the city, he said. Its a big city, there must be thousands of OB-GYN providers in communities, in isolated offices. Only 28,560 new mothers were screened between September 2016 and October 2018, according to Thrives data. Few of those who dial the number agree to a follow-up call, making it hard to gauge its effectiveness. Of the 19 events, only three were advertised as being open to questions from reporters. The phones at NYC-WELL ring constantly, 180,000 times in 2018, according to city data. 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, . For instance, Thrive calculates how many mayors attended a national conference on mental health just seven when New York City hosted it in 2017. McCray's organization is now on track to spend $1 billion over five years. 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. Thrive has publicized some data through the mayors annual management report of all city agencies, beginning in 2016, but it encompassed only a fraction of the programs scope. 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.. However, it does not show whether programs met or surpassed their goals, and whether New Yorkers are better off for it. Helping the seriously mentally ill remains a challenge, especially in a crisis. Meanwhile, the same number either closed or were merged with other schools while under the initiative. 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. Im not sure anybody does.. Sign up for our free email newsletter, and we'll make sure to keep you in the loop. The New York Post ran a story on speculation that McCray was being groomed for political office. 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 . A spreadsheet of nearly 500 data points tracked by City Hall included almost none related to patient outcomes. 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. And its only (your) money even if it is quite a lot of it. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. 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. (VIDEO) Donald Trump Pitches Agenda 47: Create Freedom Cities. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Despite that, the program has been granted an even bigger budget going forward and is now on track to spend $1billion over five years. 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. Bob McManus is a contributing editor of City Journal. Hey, the family that preys together stays together, right? 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. Run by the mayors wife and closest adviser, Chirlane McCray, ThriveNYC sought to tackle issues like substance use, depression and suicide. Things happen. Withoutrecords, the schemeis unable to pinpoint where the missing funding has been allocated, if at all. 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. 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. New York is supposed to be better than that. 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. ThriveNYC has led to an expansion of mental health first aid training. According to the New York Post, no one seems to know what that money was utilised for after four years. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. But alsomayoral spouseChirlane McCray, who has just been revealed as a world-class boondoggler in her own right. I felt like I was not able to function., But City Hall is still struggling to quantify the payoff from her efforts. Where did Russell Senior go to college and high school? 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. During one such episode in 2012, a man whose family members called 911 to try to help him, attacked one of the responding officers, stabbing him in the neck and face. 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. 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. 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. Actually, first lady Chirlane McCray works hard for free, her husband Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday, and he is not happy about it. Completing this poll entitles you to our news updates free of charge. 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. As of 2022, the amount has not been accounted for. 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. So far, she has not been able to get the mayor to take it. What do they always tell you when youre in high school or in college? The City Council discovered this shocking amount of potential waste during a meeting Wednesday. With few public metrics by which to measure its success so far, and the broad strokes used by city officials to describe its operations, the city has offered little insight into how it has assessed Thrives efficacy since it began. 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 . 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.