Fire Commissioner Laura Cabana appointed a chaplain with no clinical experience to run the NYFD’s counseling services for firefighters and medical personnel struggling with mental health issues, forcing the department to hire a certified supervisor at taxpayer expense to fill the gap.
Kavanagh appointed Anne Cansfield, the New York Fire Department’s first openly female and gay pastor, to head the department’s Counseling Services division, which will employ a staff of psychologists and therapists who screen, evaluate and treat job applicants and ailing first responders.
Ms. Cansfield, 48, whom Mr. Kavanagh calls a “spiritual muse,” serves as one of nine chaplains for the New York Fire Department and was paid $39,809 in salary and overtime last year.
As CSU director, her salary will jump to $159,650, officials said.
FDNY officers denounced Cansfield’s appointment as “another example of Kavanagh’s friends getting high-paying jobs at the expense of New Yorkers” and said it would further lower morale among rank-and-file officers.
Kavanagh defended his decision.
“Our emergency responders are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis, and they need a strong administrator with a proven track record of commitment to the FDNY and the mental health of all its members,” Kavanagh said in a statement to The Washington Post.
“Chaplain Cansfield has done just that for nearly a decade at the FDNY and is clearly the best candidate for this position. Her experience, skill and compassion will be of great benefit to the FDNY.”
Unlike his predecessor, Cansfield is not a licensed psychologist or therapist, a qualification legally required to supervise clinicians.
Cansfield will handle administrative tasks and manage the unit, while several qualified individuals, including a newly hired clinical director, will oversee care.
FDNY spokesman Jim Long said the department will also be encouraging emergency responders in distress to call for help.
Fire Lt. Andrew Cain, a licensed social worker, will be Cancir’s deputy, Long said.
Cain’s final salary as interim director was $118,056, but he received $217,676 in overtime and other compensation.
Additionally, the FDNY will hire a new co-clinical director who will work alongside administrative psychologist Shveta Mittal, who will earn an annual salary of $145,000.
That position has yet to be announced, Long said.
Critics say it was her friendship with Kavanagh that helped her get the job, rather than Cansfield’s qualifications.
“Having someone with the technical expertise and experience goes far beyond what a typical ‘political appointee’ brings to the table,” said Glenn Corbett, an associate professor of fire science and public management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
“We need competent leadership in these roles,” agreed George Contreras, a veteran New York City paramedic and John Jay adjunct professor of public health and emergency management.
But, he added, “I’m sure this isn’t the first time something like this has happened at City Hall.”
Cansfield quit her job as a stockbroker, working for several companies, including one in the World Trade Center, the day before 9/11, she said. FDNY Podcast.
After that, she decided to change course.
she Master of Theology He received his Doctor of Theology from New Brunswick Theological Seminary in 2004 and has since served as pastor of Greenpoint Reformed Church in Brooklyn.
She joined the FDNY as a chaplain in 2015 under the tutelage of former Fire Chief Daniel Nigro, calling it “my dream job.”
“During this time, I’ve had the opportunity to build trust and goodwill, and I hope my members already know how much I love and care about them,” Cansfield said. This was stated in a city press release.“We are excited to further this trusted relationship and play a more direct role in helping our members access mental health care.”
Kavanagh said the pastor is “uniquely qualified” to serve on the CSU board because of his nine years of “helping members and their families in need.”
The commissioner also said the pastor “opened, owned and operated a family therapy clinic.”
However, the announcement did not explain that Cansfield’s wife, Jennifer Orr, is the founder and director of North Brooklyn Marriage and Family Therapy, and the practice’s statement did not mention Cansfield. Website.
Long said Cansfield was doing administrative work for his wife’s medical practice.
She starts her new job on June 6th.
