Helping the seriously mentally ill remains a challenge, especially in a crisis. 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. During a meeting,the City Council learned this astounding amount of potential waste. New York is supposed to be better than that. Jeffrey Epstein - De Blasio Wife Loses 850 Million - Right Edition 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. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's (D) wife backed a "mental health scheme" that has now cost taxpayers $850 million. 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? The New York Post ran a story on speculation that McCray was being groomed for political office. 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. Fellow contender for the Brooklyn borough presidency,City Councilman Antonio Reynoso (D-Brooklyn), slammed the spending, according to The New York Post. If were not addressing those two problems, then whatever we are doing is lacking, Eide said. During a recent visit, a screen played YouTube videos of adorable animals, to help soothe staff members who work in sound-dampened cubicles. Of the 19 events, only three were advertised as being open to questions from reporters. You wish Kathy! And its only (your) money even if it is quite a lot of it. 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. Please check your email inbox to confirm your message and send it to our editorial team. 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. The officers eventually brought him to Elmhurst Hospital, nearby. 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. 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. 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. 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. Market data provided by Factset. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. 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. His wife, Chirlane McCray, was given $850 million for a mental health program she was spearheading, The Daily Mail reported. NYC Mayor De Blasio's Wife Under Fire For Losing $850 Million 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. Oh, brother. 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. Full Media Blackout: Bill de Blasio's Wife Can't Account For $850 That is, once upon a time, first spouses were content to pretend to be in charge of prettifying highways and things. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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? Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. For all the talk, the initiative has been less sweeping than envisioned: A third of the budget has not been spent, according to an analysis of city data by The New York Times. 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. 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. It is not, in the end, just about money. That it should happen in a single week is worse its an embarrassment. Ms. McCray implores those she meets to take the course, which includes discussions and role playing. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Black Democrat DA tells the truth on crime, but progressives won't listen. 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. 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. In fact, the mayor said Wednesday, McCray should get paid, but for widely accepted nepotism rules forbidding such an arrangement. It was honorable work, it didnt cost very much and it filled up the spouses free time. For example, 29 hospitals had agreed to screen almost 78,000 new mothers for post-natal depression each year as part of the scheme. In the three years the program has been running, organizers at ThriveNYC have failed to keep complete records of the initiative's achievements, with the fragments of data that has been collected, showing it lagging well behind targets. And the depth issue, I dont know of many city initiatives that have so quickly touched so many New Yorkers in such a short period of time, Belkin said. "I'm not sure anybody does.". Thrive also is meant to focus on communities African Americans, Latinos, military veterans who are less likely to seek care for mental health problems. The outcome has not come close to reaching the goal. 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!' 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.. 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. WHERE'S THE MONEY BILL? NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio's Wife "Can't Account Stop the censors, sign up to get today's top stories delivered right to your inbox. 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 there are other mysteries out there, too. At least one available barometer hinted at the challenges that the city still faces in dealing with mental illness: More New Yorkers dialed 911 to report a person in the midst of a mental health crisis last year 179,000 calls than at any point in more than a decade. I felt like I was not able to function., But City Hall is still struggling to quantify the payoff from her efforts. TheNY Postreports that among multiple failed programs and bad accounting, the figure is actually not $850 millionbut rather $1.8 billion. Frustration over Thrives veteran outreach program spilled over into a tense Council hearing just this week. Wife of Corrupt NY Mayor Bill de Blasio Makes $850 Million of Taxpayer Chirlane McCray can't explain where the $850m in funding has gone after it was given to the organization she runs, ThriveNYC. 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. He receives regular visits from a psychiatrist and a peer counselor. 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. 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. It is a hard thing to measure, because its never existed before, Ms. McCray said in an interview at Gracie Mansion last month. (Hes kind of busy, she said. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. From The Daily Mail (published in early March): 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. Hey, the family that preys together stays together, right? But back home, the effort, now in its fourth year, has sputtered. Seven mayors attended a 2017 national mental health conference in New York City. But lets be clear: If your boondogglery sets the New York City Council back on its heels, you truly are soaring with the eagles. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! The MIDD progress report also explains how well each program was executed, what challenges were faced and the outcomes. One frequent critic of the program said McCrays reticence in discussing violence related to mental health was a cop-out. We dont have everything, but we do have quite a bit.. Press Esc to cancel. Not all of the programs in her plan were new. Both City Hall and IBO suspect the Office of Management and Budget included fewer programs in the City Hall version, accounting for the difference. 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. Read our full Disclosure. , updated 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. Heres How (and When) To Watch President Trump At CPAC. What happened to $850 million given to Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane I first saw the story online under the title: "Bill DeBlasio's Wife Reportedly Loses $850 Million of Taxpayer Funds! ). His wife, Chirlane McCray, was given $850 million for a mental health program she was spearheading, The Daily Mail reported. Where did Russell Senior go to college and high school? 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. 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. If we want to reach all these women, we need to start somewhere. The government could decide not to have a nepotism restriction but it would come with costs like undermining the public trust, Clark said. 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. 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. . Weve actually built the first rational approach to the real scope and breadth of the need. It was honorable work, it didnt cost very much and it filled up the spouses free time. All rights reserved. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. But weve built the structure that can get us there.. And guess what I finally found it. (She receives no pay for her city work.). She took a mental health first aid course in October 2014. The biggest challenge for Mr. de Blasio and Ms. McCray has been to identify concrete results. 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. 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. Seven mayors attended a 2017 national mental health conference in New York City. Follow me on Twitter @kwadwo_dost, Ghanaian songstress and actress Hajia4Real. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. Powerful personality ChirlaneMcCrayisapoliticalfigureintheUnitedStates,aswellasawriter,communicationsexpert,editor,andactivist. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio's Wife Has Reportedly "Lost" $850 MILLION of 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.. 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 . 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. NYC Mayor De Blasio's wife spent $900 million in taxpayer - TheBlaze Despite that, the program has been granted an even bigger budget going forward and is now on track to spend $1billion over five years. All rights reserved. You're logged in to Facebook. 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. The city invested heavily on mental health before the de Blasio administration: For example, the Health Department spent $243 million in the 2014 fiscal year on mental health contracts. 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. 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. Legal Statement. His wife, Chirlane McCray, was given $850 million for a mental health program she was spearheading, The Daily Mail reported. Meanwhile, the same number either closed or were merged with other schools while under the initiative. 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. 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. 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. Two budget breakdowns acquired by POLITICO one from City Hall and one from the Independent Budget Office show significant differences in spending. 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. .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 first year, she began talking with Dr. Belkin. Bob McManus is a contributing editor of City Journal. We've received your submission. 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. The money was going to NYC's Thrive program for people with mental health problems that is overseen by McCray. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. 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. 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. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. 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. 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. . Laura Ingraham has even called it a "scheme". 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. 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. But over the course of two years between 2016 and 2018 the hospital screened a little over 28,000 patients and just 570 were offered help, a fraction of the 12,000 to 15,000 who were estimated to need care. McCray, who is reportedly looking torun for Brooklyn borough president, has a staff of 14 people,sources told The CIty. This story has been shared 121,909 times. STOLEN? NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio's Wife "Can't Account For" $850 MILLION