Claremont — New York City Mayor and rumored presidential contender Bill de Blasio played a supporting role to his wife, Chirlane McCray, on Sunday, at a roundtable discussion with community leaders about mental health and substance abuse.
Addressing a small group of city officials, healthcare workers, non-profit leaders, and members of law enforcement at the Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center, McCray spoke about the need to confront drug abuse and mental illness head-on and the value of collaboration in finding solutions to these interconnected problems.
“This is a huge crisis … and I can’t believe it’s not the number one issue for any candidate for president,” said McCray, founder of ThriveNYC, a multi-faceted program designed to fill the gaps in the city’s behavioral health system.
A key priority of Thrive is bringing together a variety of organizations to address problems that are often interrelated, McCray said.
“We have done a great disservice to people in this country by separating everything out,” she said. “How can you treat one part of a person?”
New York City’s First Lady praised Claremont leaders for taking a similar approach to that of Thrive.
“You’re also soldiers in the fight that we’re up against,” said McCray, who has roots in the city:
Her grandfather came to Claremont from Barbados when he was 12, and her mother was raised in the city and attended Stevens High School.
The couple emphasized these ties, as well as McCray’s work in building a national network of mayors confronting mental health issues, as rationale for their visit to the state — although speculation over a presidential run has been swirling, and de Blasio, who also met with Democrats in Manchester on Saturday, hasn’t ruled it out.
The socially progressive mayor also reinforced his wife’s opinion that substance abuse and mental health issues should be at the top of the national agenda.
“I think it’s fair to say there’s a beginning of a consensus nationally on the fact that there has to be federal funding to support mental health services,” said de Blasio, who said he has discussed the topic with numerous members of Congress from both political parties. “We need to ensure this is part of our national debate for the next two years. There’s more potential for bipartisanship on mental health than most issues. We are kidding ourselves if we expect localities around this country to deal with these issues on their own.”
The event, which was organized by Claremont Mayor Charlene Lovett, brought together leaders who see the effects of the opioid epidemic and other substance abuse issues firsthand.
Claremont Police Chief Mark Chase voiced support for New York City’s efforts to bring together the law enforcement and mental health community. “We see so many people not getting help until … they’re rock bottom,” he said.
Other attendees asked McCray for advice on dealing with obstacles to collaboration such as privacy policies and Medicaid reimbursement and pointed to the importance of addressing key mental health issues in the schools.
Along with offering specific strategies such as utilizing data, training peer counselors across different points of contact and stocking overdose kits at a variety of locations, McCray had an energizing effect on the group.
“I feel like you have just ministered to us … in your words, in your inspiration,” Maggie Cassel, executive director of TLC Family Resource Center, told McCray. “I almost daily wonder what are we doing? How are we going to make an impact? … Just listening to you speak has given me energy to go back to work tomorrow.”
The roundtable also served to build and reinforce connections among various leaders and groups, said Claremont City Councilor Nick Koloski.
Koloski agreed with de Blasio that mental health and substance abuse need to be addressed at the federal level but that it’s equally important for local people to work together to help those who are suffering.
“There’s all of these people working toward the same goal … I think it’s vital to connect them,” he said.
ThriveNYC has faced criticism in recent months for failing to effectively demonstrate how the $850 million it has spent since 2015 has led to better mental health outcomes.
The New York City Council will hold a special hearing on the program during its March 26 session.
In a short question-and-answer session with the press following the roundtable, McCray said she welcomed the hearing as a way to begin a conversation about mental health.
“We haven’t had this kind of public conversation ever in our city, our country. It’s long overdue,” she said.
During the Q&A, the couple also addressed questions about McCray’s lead role at the event, which many commentators had seen as an effort to test the presidential waters.
“This is her issue. This is the thing she’s devoted herself to,” de Blasio said. “Of course it makes sense that Chirlane’s the lead on this.”
De Blasio added that he and his wife of 27 years have always worked closely together and shared the spotlight.
“This is what we’ve done our whole lives. This is who we are,” he said.
Sarah Earle can be reached at searle@vnews.com and 603-727-3268.