ALERT: Mayor de Blasio’s Executive Budget includes $4.8 million for Case Manager Salary Parity!

April 29, 2016

Celebration Time! 
Mayor de Blasio’s Executive Budget includes $4.8 million for
Case Manager Salary Parity!

LiveOn NY thanks Mayor de Blasio for responding to this critical need.
LiveOn NY thanks DFTA Commissioner Donna Corrado and DFTA for their leadership.

LiveOn NY’s May 11th City Hall Advocacy Day is Building Momentum!

Click here for 2017 Budget Priorities

 

FY17 Executive Budget includes:

  • $4.8 million for Salary Parity
    • Funding full amount in FY17 - In order for the DFTA case management system to hire and retain licensed social workers, funding has been added to raise salaries to $50,000 for case managers and $60,000 for supervisors. This is a first phase in step for FY17. The Executive Budget includes $7.3 million by FY18, which is the full amount needed for these salary levels to be reached. The salary increases need to be done in one year – FY17. LiveOn NY and its members will advocate for the full $7.3 million in FY17 with the administration and City Council. 
    • LiveOn NY met with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in recent weeks to discuss salary parity for case managers and are very pleased to see this big win. 
    • Staff funded by discretionary funds -  The $3 million for case management allocated by City Council last year was not baselined. This funding needs to be baselined and all staff hired must receive the same salary levels, $50,000 and $60,000. The administration must baseline these funds and add in the additional amount to ensure salary parity across the system. LiveOn NY and its members will advocate for the baselining of these funds and additional funding to ensure salary parity across the system.
  • Senior center rent baselined - $800,000 was baselined in the Executive Budget which means these funds will remain in senior center budgets beyond just one year.
  • Elder abuse funds -  The preliminary budget, released in January 2016, included $3.5 million for elder abuse. It baselined $2 million of existing funds and added $1.5 million for multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs).

IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE WHAT A BIG WIN THIS IS AFTER ALL THESE YEARS OF HIGH TURNOVER RATES. THIS CREATES THE ABILITY TO HIRE LICENSED SOCIAL WORKERS!

Update on May 11 Advocacy Day:

  • Appointments with Councilmembers are increasing every day – Over 30 meetings with Councilmembers have been set. We expect to schedule the rest of the Councilmembers soon. Your borough coordinators will contact you when an appointment is set. 
  • Over 40 Advocacy Day participants joined in 2 briefing calls -  THANKS EVERYONE! This is the most participants ever in these important calls which brief Advocacy Day participants on the logistics and talking points. 
  • LiveOn NY’s Talking Points for budget priorities – These talking points can be used for Advocacy Day and any time you meet with your Councilmember(s) and their staff.  Click here for talking points and budget chart.
  • Hold a budget forum in your senior center or NORC in May – May is Older Americans Month - Some senior centers have held a budget forum during the city budget process. You can invite your local Councilmember from 11:30-12:00 or another good time, to take questions from participants. Share the budget chart with seniors and ask them to choose 3-4 issues they’re interested in to discuss. They can prepare questions to ask the Councilmember. You can also invite in local press.  Take some photos and send them in to the press with a quote about the forum from a senior or two. For further information, contact Bobbie Sackman, bsackman@liveon-ny.org or 212-398-6565 x226 or Andrea Cianfrani, acianfrani@liveon-ny.org or x233. This would be a great event to do!


JOIN LiveOn NY’s FAIR SHARE BUDGET CAMPAIGN!


For further information, contact Bobbie Sackman, bsackman@liveon-ny.org or 212-398-6565 x226 or Andrea Cianfrani, acianfrani@liveon-ny.org or x233.