Serious Cuts Likely  

Currents invited Phil Coltoff, MSW, CEO of the Children’s Aid Society, to give his perspective about the outlook for human services in NYC.  

The outlook for NYC is bleak,” said Phil Coltoff,an expert in the relationship between policy and human service delivery.

Mr. Coltoff noted that the impact of the cuts would be felt in almost every area in human services. Areas likely to have funding cuts include:

• Child Welfare

• Mental Health

• Education

• Family Services

• Child Heath Plus

• Medicaid reimbursement

• Youth Development Services
      • Health Care

“These cuts will be substantial and the consequences will be severe,” said Mr. Coltoff. “We are talking lay-offs, program closure and literally, the dismantling of a safety net and the fraying of our social fabric.”

Mr. Coltoff acknowledged that,  “on the revenue side, there will be efforts to restore some revenue, maybe even a commuter tax that would add $1 billion. But nonetheless, the outlook is grave.”

Do not give in to despair, said Mr. Coltoff. Rather, he laid out a framework for moving forward.

 “There needs to be continued advocacy, continued movement on the part of social service agencies, social workers, Boards of Directors, to help the decision makers in Government understand that the social safety net is as important as the physical safety net. By that I mean that legislators do not want to cut too much in infrastructure items, firehouses, police, bridges, transportation, and so on. Government needs to be helped to understand that social safety, with respect to families, children, schools, and employment, is equally important and has to also be maintained. Otherwise we don’t have a functioning city.”

There are clinical considerations for the social service community and hard decisions to be made, said Mr. Coltoff.  He noted that social agencies need to begin to triage to determine what their most important functions are. “Most social service agencies depend 50% to 95% on government dollars. Agencies have to start preparing now and decide what they “must,” continue to do. What are those services that must be maintained; even if it means using some private resources”.

What we need to engage in is advocacy, community organization, and a strong united push.

“Corporate and foundation outreach is necessary to try to plug holes that government cuts create. This should not be an issue for the social service community alone. Parents of school children, senior citizens as voters, citizens need to understand the consequences of these cuts. Part of that role is ours, to educate and inform the public.”