Lee questions Bonsignore on Be Heard transfer rationale
Chair Lee asks what prompted the Be Heard transfer back to FDNY and whether there were performance or management issues. Bonsignore says the previous administration planned to transfer it to H+H, and she was able to bring it back to FDNY.
I'm going to focus mostly on three areas.
First one being Be Heard as former chair of the Mental Health Committee and as a social worker myself, this is a very, very important program.
And I know that there seemed to be some back and forth, obviously, with it being with you all and then with DOHMH and now back to FDNY.
And so just wondering a few questions around the budget with this.
I remember when the program first came out, they had budgeted about $50 million, and then in the first year, I think it was about $22.
22 million or so that they had actually utilized.
And so wanting to get a sense of where things are at with the executive budget and be heard.
So I believe they transferred
the funding which grew from 1.98 million in FY26 to 6.7 million in the out years with headcount expanding from 44 to 84 positions.
What specifically prompted the transfer?
Was it driven by performance issues, management issues?
Was it just better put under FDNY?
Did it make more sense to have it with EMS?
And how are those being addressed?
Thank you for your question.
So Be Heard is a very important program.
Obviously, it's one of these programs that really take a combination of people and they do a very difficult job for a community that needs specific help.
And we were happy to get it back.
In the previous administration, the idea was to have this unit transferred to H&H Health and Hospitals.
And when I came back, we were able to have these conversations around the best fit for it, and we were able to have it sent back to the FDNY.
And we're excited about that.
We think it's a tremendous program, and it's got huge potential.