NYC's First Lady Called Before Council To Explain Her Pricey Mental Health Program
NEW YORK (CBSNew York) – Chirlane McCray, the city's first lady, is testifying before the city council today about her mental health initiative Thrive NYC.
The program was launched more than three years ago with an annual budget of $250 million.
Web Extra: Watch McCray's Complete Testimony
Council Speaker Corey Johnson and other council members have criticized Thrive NYC's lack of transparency into how its budget is spent.
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This month, Comptroller Scott Stringer said he planned to look into the initiative's finances.
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McCray says more than half a million people have called NYC Well, the city's mental health help line. But there's no metric to show how many people have actually used the services, or to show if Thrive is making a difference.