On Monday, with his wife and two children by his side, the mayor presented the city’s plan called ThriveNYC to tackle depression and other mental illnesses.
“He would be so proud of Dante, and he would be so proud of Chiara,” Mayor de Blasio said.
The mayor has never been seen so emotional, as he remembered his alcoholic and abusive father, and honored the way his daughter, who also suffers from drug addiction, anxiety and depression, about the way she asked for help.
“But he couldn’t do what Chiara did. I thought about it often. He never met his granddaughter. But he couldn’t do what she was able to do,” said the mayor of Blasio.
The mayor on Monday unveiled a mental health initiative led by his wife last year, as so many New Yorkers suffer from serious mental health issues.
Plan details include:
– 250,000 New Yorkers trained in mental health first aid.
– The city will hire 100 school mental health counselors.
– There will be a new Mental Health Corps with 400 doctors.
“The good news is that mental illness is treatable, we know what works,” said Chirlane McCray, New York First Lady.
Mental health awareness became a big part of the city’s first family two years ago when Chiara revealed her own mental health issues in a video.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Chiara said.
Now Chiara says she hopes things get better and the mayor says he wants the same for all New Yorkers. He wants it so badly that he will spend $ 850 million over the next four years to improve the city’s mental health.
“Maybe there is a little more hope, we can look at these challenges and not be afraid to talk about it or ask for the help people deserve,” said Mayor de Blasio.
Copyright © 2021 WABC-TV. All rights reserved.
