Q&A
Discussion on crime victim services programs funding
6:07:00
·
4 min
Council Member Yusef Salaam raises concerns about baseline reductions to crime victim services programs and their potential impact on service provision. OMB Director Jacques Jiha responds by explaining the administration's approach to program funding and monitoring.
- Salaam highlights a $3 million reduction for crime victim services programs
- He asks about the potential impact on services and providers
- Jiha reiterates that savings often come from underspending and low utilization
- He emphasizes the administration's commitment to upstream solutions and continuous program review
Yusef Salaam
6:07:00
And lastly, turning to crime victim services programs, the council is concerned about the baseline reductions of $3,000,000 for the crime victim services program.
6:07:10
According to Safe Horizon, if implemented, the $3,000,000 peg would dramatically hamper the ability their ability to provide services to 11,000,000 crime victims I'm sorry, 11,000 crime victims who would have had reached received their assistance as well as the 20 precincts that currently have on-site advocates.
6:07:34
And I'm just wrapping up.
6:07:38
Can you explain how this contract was re estimated to generate savings?
6:07:43
And will there be any reduction to of services as a result?
6:07:47
And do you believe that reduction reducing the funding puts significant pressure on providers and frontline staff to take on more of this important challenging work.
6:07:59
And lastly, in response to the questions surrounding the possible disruption of services due to these cuts, Mark j stated that impact to providers is being monitored.
6:08:10
And what I would like to know is does that does this mean that the administration is anticipating negative impacts on services rendered by these providers?
6:08:19
And lastly, how exactly is the administration monitoring the impact?
6:08:25
What indicators are being used to determine if these programs can succeed amidst these budget cuts to providers?
Jacques Jiha
6:08:35
It's a lot.
6:08:42
In general, let me put this with you.
6:08:45
We, as I said in my testimony, the mayor value sincerely, making investment in upstream solutions.
6:08:56
It's not by accident we invested all these resources despite the challenges that we have this year in this budget in these programs.
6:09:06
So I always tell folks, every time you see there is savings, ask the question first because savings is very often is on the spending and low utilization.
6:09:16
Okay?
6:09:16
That's what that's what the savings very often are generated from.
6:09:20
Okay?
6:09:20
It's on the spending because you have a program.
6:09:23
We allocate a $100,000,000 for that program.
6:09:25
And then by the end of the fiscal year, they only spend $50,000,000 So we took this $50,000,000 savings and then, you know, use it for what whatever purpose we we're using for or the program is created for 200 folks and then only 50 people are participating in the program.
6:09:43
So on the on the, spending and the utilization are major pieces of the puzzle when it come to, savings from this program.
6:09:56
We try as best as we can to make sure that this program are used properly.
6:10:01
The other piece of the larger question you're asking about, moving programs from this is something we did in concert with, Mark j.
6:10:10
Okay?
6:10:11
Moving many of the programmatic pieces are, you know, from Mark j to other agencies because Mark j did not have the manpower to manage contracts, to do all the admin work that's needed.
6:10:24
So, therefore, we rely on GYCD or these other agency where they have the manpower to do so and leave Mark j as like a grand trust where they are coordinating coming out with policies instead of basically managing contracts when they don't have the manpower to do so.
6:10:46
So again, as I said, these contracts, these programs are always under review.
6:10:51
We wanna make sure that, we get what we pay for in terms of, the number of people who are utilizing these programs.
6:11:00
And so this is the gist of the underspending that you see.
6:11:05
But again, as I said, the mayor is very big on upstream solution to, to this problem.
6:11:13
So, therefore, this is something we're investing a lot of resources in.
