ThriveNYC Veteran’s Return to City Hall

ThriveNYC Veteran’s Return to City Hall Raises Eyebrows Under Mamdani Transition

A former top official behind the city’s controversial mental-health program has resurfaced in New York politics — now appointed to lead parts of the incoming mayor’s public-safety transition team. New York Post

From Mental-Health Reform to Transition Committee

Susan Herman — once at the helm of ThriveNYC, the multibillion-dollar mental-health initiative launched under former mayor Bill de Blasio — now runs a boutique in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood. New York Post
Despite the widely voiced criticisms of ThriveNYC’s “opaque budget” and murky outcomes, Herman has been tapped for a seat on the transition committee for community safety under mayor-elect Mamdani. New York Post

The Legacy of ThriveNYC: Ambitious Promises, Questionable Results

ThriveNYC launched in 2015 with ambitious aims: overhaul mental health services across the city, embed new resources in schools, shelters, shelters for homeless youth, and other high-need communities. City & State New York
But major critics — including city auditors and independent analysts — warned early on the initiative lacked clear, measurable outcomes. Programs aimed at “prevention,” “early intervention,” and “wellness outreach” often neglected individuals with serious mental illness, focusing instead on milder conditions or broad wellness themes. Mental Illness Policy Org
By 2019, reporting revealed nearly $850 million allocated to ThriveNYC with limited transparency. The figures for actual patient outcomes, hospitalization reduction, or crime-related mental-health intervention remained elusive. Wikipedia

Over the years, the program was repeatedly criticized for operating like “smoke and mirrors” — channeling funds into pop-psychology, outreach, and general wellness messaging, rather than evidence-based treatment or support for the seriously mentally ill. City Journal

Why the Appointment Is Fueling Concern

For many critics, Herman’s new role under Mamdani amounts to a worrying sign: rather than breaking from past mistakes, the mayor-elect may be embracing insiders associated with failed, high-cost initiatives. As one opponent put it: “Why would Mamdani appoint someone from a failed program that wasted nearly $1 billion in taxpayer money?” New York Post

The appointment is especially sensitive now because Mamdani has proposed a new Department of Community Safety — intended to reimagine public safety in part by shifting mental-health calls away from the police. New York Post That overlap makes Herman’s background—and what critics see as ThriveNYC’s track record—all the more relevant.

Supporters might argue that Herman brings institutional knowledge of mental-health infrastructure and that her experience could help inform the new department’s strategies. But given the controversial legacy of her prior work, many remain skeptical about whether old failures can lead to new successes.

What’s Next: Transparency, Accountability — or More of the Same?

Herman has declined public comment so far, and Mamdani’s transition team has not responded to repeated requests for explanation. New York Post

For New Yorkers watching closely — particularly those concerned about mental-health support, public safety reform, and fiscal accountability — the coming months will be critical. Will the city see a genuine pivot in how mental health and public safety are addressed — or just a repackaging of old ideas under new leadership?

For now, the re-emergence of ThriveNYC’s former leadership underlines lingering doubts: lofty rhetoric and high-profile programs alone won’t rebuild public trust without accountability, clear metrics, and demonstrable results.