The Metropolis Council has ponied up $2 million for small mental-health “clubhouses” susceptible to closing when their contracts expire Sept. 30, however the funds aren’t sufficient to maintain all of them open indefinitely, advocates warn.
Throughout finances negotiations, Mayor Eric Adams’ workplace mentioned it might solely agree to offer $30 million to the bigger assembly websites versus the smaller neighborhood ones, in keeping with a council supply.
“It was clear that the administration was sticking to their method. So the council needed to step in,” the supply instructed The Publish.
5 of the 9 smaller clubhouses that weren’t awarded new contracts are actually within the $2 million in council discretionary funding that’s being supplied — and can meet with Metropolis Council members about it Wednesday, in keeping with Lawrence Fowler, the director of one of many 9, the neighborhood Rainbow clubhouse in Harlem.
However Fowler mentioned the discretionary funding isn’t sufficient to maintain the clubhouses open indefinitely.
“Based mostly on our math, it might appear that these {dollars} gained’t be ample to maintain us open past the center or finish of March,” Fowler mentioned.
He vowed to maintain combating town till small clubhouses are included within the common recurring finances.
“We now have gained a battle, however the warfare nonetheless must be fought,” Fowler mentioned.
The small clubhouses have the backing of Linda Lee, chair of the Committee on Psychological Well being, Incapacity and Dependancy.
“In a finances the place the Metropolis Council fought to revive so many initiatives, I’m proud that we stepped as much as allocate important funding to save lots of a number of the smaller clubhouses susceptible to closing as a result of Administration’s [Request for Proposal],” Lee instructed The Publish.
“We all know far more might be wanted to make sure that these applications can stay operational, however my colleagues and I within the Council stay dedicated to maintaining clubhouse doorways open and increasing entry to companies for a few of our most weak New Yorkers.”
Lee and 36 different council members despatched a letter to town commissioner of well being, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, on June 20 demanding town restore funding for the smaller mental-health clubhouses.
“To avert a disastrous step backward for our metropolis’s psychological healthcare system within the midst of an already acute disaster, we’re dedicated to maintaining these clubhouses open,” the letter mentioned. “We urge that funding be restored to those important companies for our most weak and remoted New Yorkers.”
Clubhouse advocates had sounded the alarm to The Publish when town restricted its $30 million of funding to clubhouses with 300 members or extra.
Consultants mentioned the mannequin works greatest with a mixture of small and huge clubhouses as a result of some members have a tough time adjusting to giant teams or are unable to make a protracted commute to one of many extra spread-out bigger places.
Clubhouse administrators additionally complained that town’s transfer didn’t give sufficient time to relocate members who’re thinking about becoming a member of one of many bigger clubhouses.
The mayor’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a Publish request for remark.
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