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. 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. Roughly 10 percent of the Thrive budget, more than $30 million in the current fiscal year, goes to address serious mental illness, according to City 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. Of the 19 events, only three were advertised as being open to questions from reporters. Flashback: Bill De Blasio's Wife Lost Nearly $1 Billion Taxpayer He receives regular visits from a psychiatrist and a peer counselor. When youre thinking about performance, theres both outcome and output, said Ana Champeny, director of city studies at the Citizens Budget Commission. Advertisement - story continues below 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. 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. TheNY Postreports that among multiple failed programs and bad accounting, the figure is actually not $850 millionbut rather $1.8 billion. 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. 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. The City Council discovered this shocking amount of potential waste during a meeting Wednesday. 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. 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. 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. "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. Meanwhile de Blasio announced earlier this week that he is mothballing his failed Renewal school program after spending $773million. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. Repeatedly presented by City Hall as a four-year $850 million plan, city officials now say $560 million will have been spent in that time. Borderline socialist New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio's wife has lost a staggering amount of money and now people are demanding answers. Things happen. Fast-forward to Wednesday, when the City Council was startled to discover that McCray and Team Thrive are closing in on havingspent an eye-popping $900 millionsince the programs inception and nobody seems to have a clue on what. Mr. de Blasios wife, Chirlane McCray, has done the same, presenting the effort as a national model to audiences from Atlanta to Seattle. Hey, the family that preys together stays together, right? How about the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort six years, uncountable delays and billions of dollars later? Some have closed their doors; others have chosen to stop providing mental health services. That is, once upon a time, first spouses were content to pretend to be in charge of prettifying highways and things. 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. Follow me on Twitter @kwadwo_dost, Ghanaian songstress and actress Hajia4Real. Bill de Blasio's Wife Can't Account For $850 Million Collected New York Mayor's Wife 'Loses' $850 Million in Taxpayer Money Thats because there never was any doubt what the program was about. But back home, the effort, now in its fourth year, has sputtered. That two such scandals should bubble to the surface unannounced is bad enough. In an interview with POLITICO in August, she acknowledged Thrive had not yet released data on its performance related to its mental health hotline, NYC Well. Seven mayors attended a 2017 national mental health conference in New York City. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Hey, its Noah and I want to make sure were connected on Twitter. No, Dr. Gary Belkin, a top health official and the chief of policy and strategy for Thrive, said of using the hotline to connect people to care effectively. Jeffrey Epstein - De Blasio Wife Loses 850 Million - Right Edition Its safe again and were having a lot of fun over there. For Thrive, not only is it difficult to measure impact, but it is also hard to tell how much funding each initiative receives. 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. 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. Despite the worrying misuse of taxpayermoney highlighted by the revelations, the government has granted a huge increasein the project's budget going forward. As the Worst Mayor In History Mayor Bill DeBlasio gets set to leave office, we thought it might be a good time to revisit an old question: I bet youre never seen this story reported on the nightly newsbut dont worry, well show it to you! Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. Is Kathy Hochul's governorship already beyond redemption? 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. Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she champions has gone, according to reports. The biggest challenge for Mr. de Blasio and Ms.. 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? In fact, the mayor said Wednesday, McCray should get paid, but for widely accepted nepotism rules forbidding such an arrangement. 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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. Chirlane McCray can't explain where the $850m in funding has gone after it was given to the organization she runs, ThriveNYC. But she cant get paid, so she is doing it as a volunteer.. Read our full Disclosure. Thats a misconception that people often have, she said. 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. 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.. But weve built the structure that can get us there.. Borderline socialist New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasios wife has lost a staggering amount of money and now people are demanding answers. NO JOKE: Bill De Blasio's Wife Lost $850 Million Taxpayer Dollars In And guess what I finally found it. (She receives no pay for her city work.). Run by the mayors wife and closest adviser, Chirlane McCray, ThriveNYC sought to tackle issues like substance use, depression and suicide. We've received your submission. Despite that, the program has been granted an even bigger budget going forward and is now on track to spend $1billion over five years. 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. 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. 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. What are some fun facts about Wayne Shorter? One, fromCity Hall, showed $594million in spending, but a second, from the Independent Budget Office, showed $816milion. | AP Photo. 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.. 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. 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. Something happened that triggered the need for me to go, she said without elaborating. TheNY Postreports that among multiple failed programs and bad accounting, the figure is actually not $850 millionbut rather $1.8 BILLION! . 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. But the co-mayor made performance promises when he initiated the Renewal program, few of which even remotely were met, and presently gravity prevailed: The program caved in on itself. But the vast majority of city spending on the program goes to more than 40 other endeavors, such as a crime victim advocate program; social and emotional learning in public schools; and a corps of young behavioral health clinicians paid by the city to work at nonprofits for three years. 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. 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. Bill de Blasio's wife can't account for $850m given to mental health Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. That first year, she began talking with Dr. Belkin. 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. Full Media Blackout: Bill de Blasio's Wife Can't Account For $850 ThriveNYC has led to an expansion of mental health first aid training. 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. .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. 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 share your thoughts about this article below. But alsomayoral spouseChirlane McCray, who has just been revealed as a world-class boondoggler in her own right. Click here to log out. 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. If we want to reach all these women, we need to start somewhere. Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray cannot explain where $850million given to the mental health program she . 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Black Democrat DA tells the truth on crime, but progressives won't listen. 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. So its a mater of choosing your poison do you choose the additional income or keeping your credibility with the public?. 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. 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. 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. Fellow contender for the Brooklyn borough presidency,City Councilman Antonio Reynoso (D-Brooklyn), slammed the spending, according to The New York Post. Hey, the family that preys together stays together, right? 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? Anyone can read what you share. 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. Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. Ms. McCray implores those she meets to take the course, which includes discussions and role playing. 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. Read our full Disclosure. A university finally stands up to woke virtue signaling, GOPers stand up for life and against AG Merrick Garland, Biden's WHO pandemic treaty would kill Americans in the name of 'equity', Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, US home prices just did something they haven't done since 2012, Tom Sandoval breaks silence on Ariana Madix split amid cheating claims. 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. According to the New York Post, no one seems to know what that money was utilised for after four years. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion! Now we have to shift into another phase.. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. This story has been shared 175,437 times. https://twitter.com/davej08/status/1101441406667771904, https://twitter.com/WNYGeek81/status/1101500859299627008, harshly assessed the program's effectiveness. During a recent visit, a screen played YouTube videos of adorable animals, to help soothe staff members who work in sound-dampened cubicles. 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. For instance, Thrive calculates how many mayors attended a national conference on mental health just seven when New York City hosted it in 2017. How about the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort six years, uncountable delays and billions of dollars later? https://t.co/fqUIyfFc8Z, John Naturally Immune Cardillo (@johncardillo) March 1, 2019. Bill de Blasio's Wife Can Not Explain Where The $850 Million Went 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 government could decide not to have a nepotism restriction but it would come with costs like undermining the public trust, Clark said. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, And its only (your) money even if it is quite a lot of it. 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. Completing this poll entitles you to our news updates free of charge. 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.