McCray formally serves as chair of the Mayors Fund to Advance New York City and is the face of ThriveNYC an $850 million dollar administration initiative she helped design to improve the citys mental health and substance abuse services. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Thats because there never was any doubt what the program was about. Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million 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. 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. (Some are repeat callers, with a few who call as many as 200 times a day.). 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. Heres How (and When) To Watch President Trump At CPAC. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post.The City Council discovered this shocking amount of potential waste during a His wife, Chirlane McCray, was given $850 million for a mental health program she was spearheading, The Daily Mail reported. Thrive also is meant to focus on communities African Americans, Latinos, military veterans who are less likely to seek care for mental health problems. 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, . 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. New York has given up on policing drugs, and the city suffers, David Paterson is right Mayor Adams needs to get tougher. 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. "This work is about the needs of the people of this city. McCray acknowledged in October 2018 that the city does not often discuss Thrives programming for violent individuals due to stigma. Trump threatens to send federal agents to New York City if Bill de Blasio can't stop the violence, Whitmer's $79B budget proposal chock full of protections for equity, inclusion and 'reproductive freedom', Sununu pushes back on DeSantis' crusade against 'woke' corporations: 'That's not what Republicans are about', These Biden administration agencies have admitted COVID lab leak is plausible, Utah Gov. Thats a misconception that people often have, she said. The plan, which includes dozens of discrete programs across 15 city agencies, has undergone two leadership changes in the last year; the most recent saw a top official from the Police Department, Susan Herman, taking charge last month. 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. One, fromCity Hall, showed $594million in spending, but a second, from the Independent Budget Office, showed $816milion. 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. You wish Kathy! Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to theNew York Post. Few of those who dial the number agree to a follow-up call, making it hard to gauge its effectiveness. 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. He was told a team like that could not come for at least a day, maybe two; for immediate help, call 911. He receives regular visits from a psychiatrist and a peer counselor. It was honorable work, it didnt cost very much and it filled up the spouses free time. Read our full Disclosure. https://t.co/vQU2PxB7dg. All rights reserved. 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. 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. McCrayiswellknownforbeingthewifeofBilldeBlasio,themayorofNewYorkCity,aswellashisclosestadvisor. 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. Besides the ramped-up spending, a big part of Thrive has been Ms. McCrays advocacy. Its safe again and were having a lot of fun over there. Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she champions has gone, according to reports. SheisalsothechairmanoftheMayorsFundtoAdvanceNewYorkCityandtheexecutivedirectorofThriveNYC. 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. But there are other mysteries out there, too. De Blasio did not say hed pursue a change in the law and acknowledged there were good historical reasons for the rule. 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. 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 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. 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. | AP Photo. Something happened that triggered the need for me to go, she said without elaborating. This story has been shared 121,909 times. 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. 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. 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. It was honorable work, it didnt cost very much and it filled up the spouses free time. 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? 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 it should happen in a single week is worse its an embarrassment. 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? ", 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.". Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox for free every day by signing up below. TheNY Postreports that among multiple failed programs and bad accounting, the figure is actually not $850 millionbut rather $1.8 BILLION! Thank you! Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Ukrainian soldier takes out five tanks with Javelin missiles, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Alex Murdaugh unanimously found GUILTY of murder of wife and son, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race. Please share your thoughts about this article below. 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. 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. With Thrive, spending rose to $346 million in fiscal year 2018, according to an analysis by the City Council. Much of the development of Thrive was personal, born of Mr. de Blasios and Ms. McCrays own difficulties navigating the mental health system on behalf of their daughter, Chiara, who struggled with depression and drugs during high school and college. 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. 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. Things happen. Last month, McCray and de Blasio announced the appointment of Deputy Mayor Phil Thompson together. 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. 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. 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? But there are other mysteries out there, too. But she cant get paid, so she is doing it as a volunteer.. 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. 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. McCray, who is reportedly looking torun for Brooklyn borough president, has a staff of 14 people,sources told The CIty. And even some experienced in mental health services have been surprised at what the service does not offer. 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. Were US Rail Workers Instructed to Bypass Railcar Safety Inspections? We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion! That first year, she began talking with Dr. Belkin. SICK: Here Is That Perverted Sex Ed Video Teaching First Graders To Masturbate, Pfizer Makes Stunning Admission On COVID-19 Jab Clinical Trials, China & Cambodia Report Human Cases of Avian Flu, Next Pandemic?, EPA Forces Norfolk Southern to Test For Dioxins in East Palestine After Heated Town Hall. 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. Chirlane McCray can't explain where the $850m in funding has gone after it was given to the organization she runs, ThriveNYC. The City Council was shocked when they learned that McCray and Team Thrive have spent about $900 million since the programs inception, and no one appears to know why. If were not addressing those two problems, then whatever we are doing is lacking, Eide 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. The program has made more than 7,800 referrals to outpatient treatment for those individuals between August 2015 and November 2018, according to city numbers. The data comes from aPoliticoreport that shows those running the scheme have largely failed to measure its impact or keep track of spending. According to the New York Post, no one seems to know what that money was utilised for after four years. Bill de Blasio attempts to defend his wife's $1.1M salary for staff Of the 19 events, only three were advertised as being open to questions from reporters. That visibility has led to questions this week by Errol Louis of NY1s Inside City Hall over her role. Full Media Blackout: Bill de Blasio's Wife Can't Account For $850 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. FLASHBACK: Bill De Blasio's Wife Lost $850 Million Taxpayer Dollars In 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.. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Now we have to shift into another phase.. By "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," Queens Councilman Robert Holden told The Post. Benedy Abreu, right, is in a program funded through Thrive to help those with serious mental illness and a criminal past. The data also showed almost 190,000 Narcan kits were handed out to hospitals where opioid use is common, but there is no evidence of how many were used. Seven mayors attended a 2017 national mental health conference in New York City. Before the Thrive initiative, he said, there was not even a pretense of a mental health system in the city.. Withoutrecords, the schemeis unable to pinpoint where the missing funding has been allocated, if at all. Advertisement - story continues below 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. 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. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. The data also showed almost 190,000 Narcan kits were handed out to hospital where opioid use is common, but there is no evidence of how many were used. We 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 service also includes text and web chat. How about the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort six years, uncountable delays and billions of dollars later? Meanwhile, de Blasio announced earlier this week that he is mothballing his failed Renewal school program after spending $773million. Laura Ingraham has even called it a scheme. Twenty-nine hospitals responsible for more than 78,000 newborn deliveries each year representing nearly seven in 10 births in the city committed to screen all new mothers for maternal depression. Two budget breakdowns acquired by POLITICO one from City Hall and one from the Independent Budget Office show significant differences in spending. The officers eventually brought him to Elmhurst Hospital, nearby. 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. Were US Rail Workers Instructed to Bypass Railcar Safety Inspections? So its a mater of choosing your poison do you choose the additional income or keeping your credibility with the public?. Aides to McCray said, despite the limited format, she typically makes herself available for pull aside interviews at the event. 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. 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. At least one stat the program tracks showed underperformance in an area of particular importance to McCray. 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. When youre thinking about performance, theres both outcome and output, said Ana Champeny, director of city studies at the Citizens Budget Commission. However, according to current and former employees in the Mayors office -- and public records --McCrays staff makes closer to $2 million. McCray's organization is now on track to spend $1 billion over five years. Of the 78,000 newborn deliveries in the city annually, only 28,560 new mothers have been screened by the Thrive program. 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! 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? But weve built the structure that can get us there.. But back home, the effort, now in its fourth year, has sputtered. 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. 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. 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 there is no corresponding data on how many were used or how effective the outreach was. 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. 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. Good thing it wasn't an even $1 billion, huh? Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she champions has gone, according to reports. Speaking to the Post,Queens Councilman Robert Holden told theNew York Post: "I like the fact that money is going toward mental health, but when they say we're seeing a benefit in all areas, I take exception to that, because I don't see it everywhere. 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. Hey, the family that preys together stays together, right? I first saw the story online under the title: "Bill DeBlasio's Wife Reportedly Loses $850 Million of Taxpayer Funds! 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. NO JOKE: Bill De Blasio's Wife Lost $850 Million Taxpayer Dollars In Bill de Blasio wife: Meet Chirlane McCray. And its only (your) money even if it is quite a lot of it. For example, 29 hospitals had agreed to screen almost 78,000 new mothers for post-natal depression each year as part of the scheme. Questions have mounted in recent days over McCrays expansive role in high-level City Hall decisions, despite having no official title other than wife of the mayor. 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. But alsomayoral spouseChirlane McCray, who has just been revealed as a world-class boondoggler in her own right. Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she . Where did Russell Senior go to college and high school? I felt like I was not able to function., But City Hall is still struggling to quantify the payoff from her efforts. "I'm not sure anybody does.". But also mayoral spouse Chirlane McCray, who has just been revealed as a world-class boondoggler in her own right. The money was going to NYC's Thrive program for people with mental health problems that is overseen by McCray. So, what are the right measures?. 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. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. The data delineates each program within Thrive and tries to measure the initiatives reach within a given timeline. It's gone. 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. The city also published a 150-day update report in June 2016 that described key milestones produced within the first five months of the program such as bringing educational programming to homeless shelters and community groups and outlined what it hoped to accomplish in the coming years. Tap below and Follow @DailyNoahNewsthats me! 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. Bill De Blasio's Wife and The Case of the Missing $850 Million in Despite the worrying misuse of taxpayermoney highlighted by the revelations, the government has granted a huge increasein the project's budget going forward. New York Mayor's Wife 'Loses' $850 Million in Taxpayer Money Another prominent element of Thrive is an expansion of mental health first aid training. 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. Thrives two-year report, released in February 2018, offers cumulative data, like the number of medical professionals trained to prescribe treatment for opioid use. 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. 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.. 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 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. 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? 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. De Blasio bemoans nepotism laws keeping his wife from collecting a City salary Chirlane McCray is the face of ThriveNYC an $850 million dollar administration initiative she helped design. Run by the mayors wife and closest adviser, Chirlane McCray, ThriveNYC sought to tackle issues like substance use, depression and suicide. The city comptroller is also investigating. 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. That two such scandals should bubble to the surface unannounced is bad enough. I'm not sure anybody does.'. 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. 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????