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Budget and funding concerns for B-HEARD program
1:21:24
ยท
3 min
Council Member Lee expresses concerns about the budget allocation for the B-HEARD program, given the increasing number of calls served. Representatives from the Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health and NYC Health + Hospitals address these concerns.
- B-HEARD responded to nearly 15,000 calls in FY 2024, up from 7,000 in FY 2023
- Current funding is reported to be sufficient for maintaining the current level of service
- FY 2025 budget allocates $35.1 million to H+H and FDNY for the B-HEARD program, a reduction from previous years
Linda Lee
1:21:24
Okay.
1:21:24
So then two follow-up questions to what you just said because I'm going back to the testimony, which says that in FY Twenty 2, there were 2000 calls or people served FY Twenty 3 7000, and FY Twenty 4, so far, it's 15,000.
1:21:42
So my question then is, is that in terms of budget and pegs, which aren't concerning because we don't want the pegs to impact, obviously, direct services on the ground.
1:21:52
Yeah.
1:21:52
But if that's the case, what's the budget situation?
1:21:55
Do you have enough funding?
1:21:56
If you if you have 9 teams, you know, I'm just you know, the numbers in my head don't make sense.
1:22:02
Right?
1:22:02
So if that's the case where you're receiving that many more calls, I guess the first question is, how many of those 15,000?
1:22:08
Does that mean that all 15,000 calls received be heard responses in FY 24?
1:22:14
And if so, how does that look in terms of the funding and the budget?
Laquisha Grant
1:22:18
Yeah.
1:22:19
So with the same funding, we were able to gradually increase the amount of calls that the teams have gone to.
1:22:26
And as of FY 25, it was up FY 24, it was up to almost 15,000 calls.
1:22:32
And so those were how many times the teams were dispatched and went out to respond to
Linda Lee
1:22:38
Which I wanna reiterate is the goal.
1:22:39
Right?
1:22:39
We want these teams to go out more.
1:22:41
I'm just concerned that there's not enough funding or budget to to support that.
Laquisha Grant
1:22:46
Yeah.
1:22:46
The funding that we have at the moment is sufficient percent, and and we are seeing we have seen the numbers go up with the with the funding that we have.
Linda Lee
1:22:57
Okay.
1:22:57
Then, correct me if I'm wrong.
1:23:03
I'm skipping around a little bit.
1:23:04
Sorry.
1:23:06
So then in 2025 fiscal year, the budget has allocated a combined 35,100,000 to h and h and f d and y for the B herd program.
1:23:16
And this number is a reduction.
1:23:18
It's seems like from recent years.
1:23:20
Right?
1:23:20
So I guess, can you sort of explain, you know, it's I know it's enough.
1:23:26
I I the 1st year, I know that there was 55,000,000 in the budget, but there was trouble hiring staff and getting things, you know, up and running, which is why in the 1st year, I I get why the number decreased from 55,000,000 to whatever it was.
1:23:41
Right?
1:23:42
I think it was 20 something,000,000 if my I'm just going off my memory.
1:23:45
But if if the number for FY 25 is now 35,100, can you just sort of speak to, if that's a reduction, is that still enough?
1:23:55
Because I'm anticipating that's probably there's probably gonna be more calls this year.
Laquisha Grant
1:24:00
I'll let h and h speak to the changes in their budget, but I will say that at the start of the program, there were a lot of, you know, 1st year startup costs associated it with operating this program.
1:24:14
And so that sort of reduction takes into account us no longer needing some of those startup costs.
Linda Lee
1:24:20
Yeah.
1:24:21
So I guess the better question would be take a full year of operation comparing that to now FYI 25, right?
1:24:28
So if you could compare a little bit of the year over year, how that works in terms of the increased calls and if the budget is sufficient for that?
Jason Hansman
1:24:37
Yes.
1:24:38
So what I would say at least between 2425 there is not a appreciable difference in kind of the number of, like, social workers that we would be able to to hire.
1:24:48
So there wasn't a reduction in in our headcount, so that allows us to continue to respond to the the same number of calls that we have responded to in FY20 4.