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Q&A
Council Member Restler questions DOHMH on 988 crisis hotline funding
1:31:24
·
3 min
Council Member Lincoln Restler engages in a tense exchange with Acting Commissioner Michelle Morse regarding funding for the 988 mental health crisis hotline. Restler repeatedly asks about budget cuts and restorations, while Morse provides indirect responses about service continuity and performance improvements.
- Restler presses for clear answers on whether FY '25 cuts were restored and the status of a proposed $10 million cut for FY '26
- Morse emphasizes that 988 is a 24/7 service and states there is no planned cut for FY '26, contradicting Restler's understanding
- The exchange highlights the importance of 988 funding and reveals some communication challenges between the Council and DOHMH
Lincoln Restler
1:31:24
Thank you chair Brennan and thank you chair Leif for your tremendous leadership.
1:31:28
I apologize that I was a little late so if I missed stuff somebody should just kick me.
1:31:36
Gail, you know we're all running around.
1:31:39
So I wanted to ask about nine eighty eight.
1:31:42
My understanding is that you all have restored some of the planned f y '25 cuts, is that right?
Michelle Morse
1:31:48
I can just start by saying that September has been, we did talk about it quite a bit.
1:31:54
It is a program that we see as essential for getting New Yorkers access to care twenty fourseven, seven days a week.
1:32:02
So we have been working in close partnership with our colleagues at the Office of Mental Health as well as our colleagues at Vibrant to make sure that they have the resources they need to continue the services.
Lincoln Restler
1:32:15
The cuts for FY twenty five were restored?
Michelle Morse
1:32:17
So far we're on track for our projected volume of calls in FY twenty five.
1:32:24
That was a part of the contract with Vibrant, so we're on track for about 334,000 calls, texts, and chats for this fiscal year.
1:32:33
That was what was contracted with Vibrant, and we have come to an agreement with Vibrant to make sure that we receive the data that we need to make sure that the calls and the program are meeting the requirements of the contract while also making sure that they have the resources they need to continue services.
1:32:51
We are at a place where now 90% of the calls to Vibrant are answered, excuse me, the calls to 988 are answered within thirty seconds, which is an improvement.
1:33:01
So we It's
Lincoln Restler
1:33:02
great to hear.
1:33:02
I really do appreciate all that, but I I've now asked three times.
1:33:05
Could you just again, the cuts for FY '25 were restored?
Michelle Morse
1:33:08
I I did answer your question.
1:33:09
I said that we came to an agreement with Vibrant to make sure that they have the resources they need to continue to serve New
Lincoln Restler
1:33:15
Yorkers' How much funding was restored for FY '25?
Michelle Morse
1:33:18
We're working with all of our oversight agencies to make sure that Vibrant has what it needs to continue its care.
Lincoln Restler
1:33:25
Okay.
1:33:26
I don't love the indirect answers.
1:33:29
It's it's very helpful to just get direct answers at these hearings.
1:33:32
That's why we hold them.
1:33:35
If you commit, can we get a firm commitment from the health department that 988 will be funded so that calls can be answered in real time even overnight, on weekends, etcetera for next fiscal year?
Michelle Morse
1:33:53
September is a twenty fourseven, seven day a week, three sixty five day a year service that New Yorkers can call at any time.
1:34:02
So that is how the program functions.
Lincoln Restler
1:34:04
And yet there's a planned cut for $10,000,000 for next year.
1:34:08
If that cut comes to fruition, then we don't believe that they'd be able to achieve what you've just stated.
1:34:15
So do we have any what's the position of the health department on the proposed f y twenty six cut?
Michelle Morse
1:34:20
There is not a planned cut for f y twenty six.
Lincoln Restler
1:34:23
So you're intending to restore that funding for the adopted budget?
Michelle Morse
1:34:27
We'd be happy to talk with you offline, but as I said, there's not a planned cut for f y twenty six for vibrant.
Lincoln Restler
1:34:34
Okay.
1:34:35
We look forward to continuing the conversation.
1:34:37
I appreciate it.