Bill Text: NY A03848 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to the scope of responsibilities of the office of addiction services and supports; defines addiction professional.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to alcoholism and drug abuse [A03848 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A03848-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          3848

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 8, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. JACKSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

        AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to setting standards
          for addiction professionals

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1.  Section 19.07 of the mental hygiene law, as added by chap-
     2  ter  223  of  the  laws  of 1992, subdivisions (a) and (g) as amended by
     3  chapter 271 of the laws of 2010, subdivisions (b) and (c) as amended  by
     4  chapter 281 of the laws of 2019, subdivision (d) as amended by section 5
     5  of part I of chapter 58 of the laws of 2005 and the opening paragraph of
     6  paragraph  1 of subdivision (d) as amended by chapter 449 of the laws of
     7  2021, subdivision (e) as amended by chapter 558 of  the  laws  of  1999,
     8  subdivision (f) as added by chapter 383 of the laws of 1998, subdivision
     9  (h)  as  separately amended by chapters 322 and 494 of the laws of 2021,
    10  subdivision (i) as amended by section 31-a of part AA of chapter  56  of
    11  the  laws of 2019, subdivision (j) as amended by chapter 146 of the laws
    12  of 2014, subdivision (k) as added by  chapter 40 of the  laws  of  2014,
    13  subdivision (l) as added by chapter 323 of the laws of 2018, subdivision
    14  (m)  as  added  by  chapter  493 of the laws of 2019, subdivision (n) as
    15  added by chapter 190 of the laws of 2021 and subdivision (n) as added by
    16  chapter 762 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
    17  § 19.07 Office of [alcoholism and substance  abuse  services]  addiction
    18            services and supports; scope of responsibilities.
    19    (a)  The office of [alcoholism and substance abuse services] addiction
    20  services and supports is charged with the  responsibility  for  assuring
    21  the  development  of  comprehensive plans, programs, and services in the
    22  areas of research, prevention, care, treatment, rehabilitation,  includ-
    23  ing relapse prevention and recovery maintenance, education, and training
    24  of  persons  who  [abuse  or are dependent on alcohol and/or substances]
    25  have or are at risk of an addictive disorder  and  their  families.  The

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07098-01-3

        A. 3848                             2

     1  term  addictive  disorder  shall  include compulsive gambling education,
     2  prevention and treatment consistent with section 41.57 of this  chapter.
     3  Such  plans,  programs, and services shall be developed with the cooper-
     4  ation of the office, the other offices of the department where appropri-
     5  ate,  local governments, consumers and community organizations and enti-
     6  ties.  The  office  shall  provide  appropriate  facilities  and   shall
     7  encourage  the provision of facilities by local government and community
     8  organizations and entities. [The office is also responsible for develop-
     9  ing plans, programs and services related to compulsive  gambling  educa-
    10  tion,  prevention  and  treatment  consistent with section 41.57 of this
    11  chapter.]
    12    (b) The office of [alcoholism and substance abuse services]  addiction
    13  services  and supports shall advise and assist the governor in improving
    14  services and developing policies designed to meet the needs  of  persons
    15  who  suffer from or are at risk of an addictive disorder and their fami-
    16  lies, and to encourage their rehabilitation,  maintenance  of  recovery,
    17  and functioning in society.
    18    (c)  The office of [alcoholism and substance abuse services] addiction
    19  services and supports shall have  the  responsibility  for  seeing  that
    20  persons  who  suffer  from  or  are at risk of an addictive disorder and
    21  their families are provided with addiction services, care and treatment,
    22  and that such services, care, treatment and rehabilitation  is  of  high
    23  quality  and  effectiveness,  and  that the personal and civil rights of
    24  persons seeking and receiving addiction services,  care,  treatment  and
    25  rehabilitation are adequately protected.
    26    (d)  The office of [alcoholism and substance abuse services] addiction
    27  services and supports shall foster programs for the training and  devel-
    28  opment of persons capable of providing the foregoing services, including
    29  but  not  limited  to  a  process of issuing, either directly or through
    30  contract, licenses,  credentials,  certificates  or  authorizations  for
    31  [alcoholism and substance abuse counselors or gambling] addiction [coun-
    32  selors] professionals in accordance with the following:
    33    (1) The office shall establish minimum qualifications [for counselors]
    34  and  a  definition  of  the  practice  of the profession of an addiction
    35  professional in all phases of delivery of services to persons and  their
    36  families  who  are suffering from [alcohol and/or substance abuse and/or
    37  chemical dependence and/or compulsive gambling that  shall  include]  or
    38  are  at  risk of an addictive disorder including, but not be limited to,
    39  completion of approved courses of study or equivalent on-the-job experi-
    40  ence in [alcoholism and substance abuse counseling and/or counseling  of
    41  compulsive  gambling] addiction disorder services. Such approved courses
    42  of study or equivalent on-the-job experience  shall  include:  providing
    43  trauma-informed,  patient-centered care; referring individuals to appro-
    44  priate treatments for co-occurring disorders; and sensitivity  training.
    45  Such  courses  shall be updated as needed to reflect evolving best prac-
    46  tices in harm reduction,  treatment  and  long-term  recovery.  For  the
    47  purposes  of  this  paragraph, sensitivity training shall mean a form of
    48  training with the goal of making people more aware of their  own  preju-
    49  dices and more sensitive to others.
    50    (i)  The  office  shall  establish procedures for issuing, directly or
    51  through contract, licenses, credentials, certificates or  authorizations
    52  to [counselors] addiction professionals who meet minimum qualifications,
    53  including  the  establishment  of  appropriate  fees,  and shall further
    54  establish procedures to suspend, revoke, or annul such licenses, creden-
    55  tials, certificates or authorizations for good  cause.  Such  procedures
    56  shall be promulgated by the commissioner by rule or regulation.

        A. 3848                             3

     1    (ii)  The  commissioner shall establish [a credentialing] an addiction
     2  professionals board which shall provide advice concerning the licensing,
     3  credentialing, certification or authorization process.
     4    (iii)  The commissioner shall establish fees for the education, train-
     5  ing,  licensing,  credentialing,  certification  or   authorization   of
     6  addiction professionals.
     7    (2)  The  establishment,  with  the  advice of the advisory council on
     8  alcoholism and substance abuse services, of minimum  qualifications  for
     9  [counselors]  addiction  professionals  in  all  phases  of  delivery of
    10  services to those suffering from [alcoholism, substance and/or  chemical
    11  abuse and/or dependence and/or compulsive gambling] or at risk of addic-
    12  tive disorders and their families that shall include, but not be limited
    13  to,  completion  of  approved  courses of study or equivalent on-the-job
    14  experience in [counseling  for  alcoholism,  substance  and/or  chemical
    15  abuse and/or dependence] addiction disorder services and/or [compulsive]
    16  gambling  disorder  services,  and  establish  appropriate  fees,  issue
    17  licenses, credentials, certificates or  authorizations  to  [counselors]
    18  addiction  professionals  who  meet  minimum qualifications and suspend,
    19  revoke, or annul such licenses, credentials,  certificates  or  authori-
    20  zations  for good cause in accordance with procedures promulgated by the
    21  commissioner by rule or regulation.
    22    (3) For the purpose of this title, the term "addiction  professional",
    23  including  "credentialed  alcoholism  and  substance abuse counselor" or
    24  "C.A.S.A.C.", means an official designation identifying an individual as
    25  one who holds a currently  registered  and  valid  license,  credential,
    26  certificate  or authorization issued or approved by the office of [alco-
    27  holism and substance abuse services]  addiction  services  and  supports
    28  pursuant  to this section which documents an individual's qualifications
    29  to provide [alcoholism and substance abuse counseling] addiction  disor-
    30  der  services.  The  term "gambling addiction [counselor"] professional"
    31  means an official designation identifying an individual as one who holds
    32  a currently registered and valid  license,  credential,  certificate  or
    33  authorization  issued  by  the office of [alcoholism and substance abuse
    34  services] addiction services and supports pursuant to this section which
    35  documents an individual's qualifications to provide [compulsive]  gambl-
    36  ing [counseling] disorder services.
    37    (i)  No  person  shall  use  the  title  [credentialed  alcoholism and
    38  substance abuse counselor or "C.A.S.A.C." or gambling addiction  counse-
    39  lor]  "addiction  professional"  or  the  title  given  to any licenses,
    40  credentials, certificates or authorizations issued by the office  unless
    41  authorized  [pursuant  to]  by  the commissioner in accordance with this
    42  title.
    43    (ii) Failure to comply with the requirements  of  this  section  shall
    44  constitute a violation as defined in the penal law.
    45    (4)  All  persons  holding  previously  issued and valid alcoholism or
    46  substance abuse counselor credentials issued by the office or an  entity
    47  designated  by  the  office,  including  a  credentialed  alcoholism and
    48  substance abuse counselor, certified prevention specialist, credentialed
    49  prevention professional, credentialed problem gambling counselor, gambl-
    50  ing specialty designation, and certified recovery peer advocate, on  the
    51  effective date of amendments to this section shall be deemed [C.A.S.A.C.
    52  designated]  an  addiction professional consistent with their experience
    53  and education.
    54    (e) Consistent with the requirements of  subdivision  (b)  of  section
    55  5.05 of this chapter, the office shall carry out the provisions of arti-
    56  cle  thirty-two  of  this chapter as such article pertains to regulation

        A. 3848                             4

     1  and  quality  control  of  [chemical  dependence]   addiction   disorder
     2  services,  including  but  not limited to the establishment of standards
     3  for determining the necessity and appropriateness of care  and  services
     4  provided  by  [chemical  dependence]  addiction  disorder  providers  of
     5  services. In implementing this subdivision, the commissioner, in consul-
     6  tation with the commissioner of health, shall adopt standards  including
     7  necessary  rules  and regulations including but not limited to those for
     8  determining the necessity or appropriate level of admission, controlling
     9  the length of stay and the provision of services, and  establishing  the
    10  methods and procedures for making such determination.
    11    (f)  The office of [alcoholism and substance abuse services] addiction
    12  services and supports shall develop a list of  all  agencies  throughout
    13  the state which are currently certified by the office and are capable of
    14  and  available  to provide evaluations in accordance with section sixty-
    15  five-b of the alcoholic beverage control law so as to determine need for
    16  treatment pursuant to such section and to  assure  the  availability  of
    17  such  evaluation  services  by  a  certified  agency within a reasonable
    18  distance of every court of a local jurisdiction in the state. Such  list
    19  shall be updated on a regular basis and shall be made available to every
    20  supreme  court  law  library  in this state, or, if no supreme court law
    21  library is available in a certain county, to the county court library of
    22  such county. The commissioner may establish an annual fee for  inclusion
    23  on such list.
    24    (g)  The office of [alcoholism and substance abuse services] addiction
    25  services and supports shall develop and maintain a list of the names and
    26  locations of all licensed agencies and  [alcohol  and  substance  abuse]
    27  addiction  professionals, as defined in paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdi-
    28  vision one of section eleven hundred ninety-eight-a of the  vehicle  and
    29  traffic  law, throughout the state which are capable of and available to
    30  provide an assessment of, and  treatment  for,  [alcohol  and  substance
    31  abuse  and  dependency] addiction disorders. Such list shall be provided
    32  to the chief administrator of the office of court administration and the
    33  commissioner of motor vehicles. Persons who may be aggrieved by an agen-
    34  cy decision regarding inclusion on the list may request  an  administra-
    35  tive  appeal in accordance with rules and regulations of the office. The
    36  commissioner may establish an annual fee for inclusion on such list.
    37    (h) The office  of  addiction  services  and  supports  shall  monitor
    38  programs  providing  care  and  treatment to incarcerated individuals in
    39  correctional facilities operated by the department  of  corrections  and
    40  community  supervision  who  have a history of [alcohol or substance use
    41  disorder or dependence] an addiction disorder.   The office  shall  also
    42  develop  guidelines  for  the  operation  of  [alcohol and substance use
    43  disorder treatment programs] addiction disorder services in such correc-
    44  tional facilities, based on best practices, and tailored to  the  nature
    45  of the individual's substance use, history of past treatment, and histo-
    46  ry of mental illness or trauma, which may include harm reduction strate-
    47  gies, in order to ensure that such [programs] services sufficiently meet
    48  the  needs  of  incarcerated  individuals  with a history of [alcohol or
    49  substance use disorder or dependence]  an addiction disorder and promote
    50  the successful transition to treatment in the community upon release. No
    51  later than the first day of December of  each  year,  the  office  shall
    52  submit  a report regarding: (1) the adequacy and effectiveness of [alco-
    53  hol and substance use disorder treatment  programs]  addiction  disorder
    54  services  operated by the department of corrections and community super-
    55  vision; (2) the total number of incarcerated individuals in correctional
    56  facilities that have been screened  for,  and  determined  to  have,  [a

        A. 3848                             5

     1  substance  use]  an  addiction disorder; (3) information regarding which
     2  substances incarcerated individuals are  most  dependent  upon  and  the
     3  available treatment for such individuals within each correctional facil-
     4  ity;  (4) the total number of individuals who participate in each of the
     5  [treatment programs] addiction disorder services operated by the depart-
     6  ment of corrections and community supervision; and (5) the total  number
     7  of  individuals  who participated in [a substance use disorder treatment
     8  program]  addiction  disorder  services  but  failed  to  complete  such
     9  [program]  services,  as  well  as whether such failure to complete [the
    10  program] such addiction disorder services was a result  of  disciplinary
    11  action  taken by the facility against the individual for instances unre-
    12  lated to their participation in [the treatment program]  such  services.
    13  The  department  of  corrections and community supervision shall provide
    14  the office with information needed to complete this report. Such  report
    15  shall  be  sent  to the governor, the temporary president of the senate,
    16  the speaker of the assembly, the chairman of  the  senate  committee  on
    17  crime  victims,  crime  and correction, and the chairman of the assembly
    18  committee on correction.
    19    (i) The office of [alcoholism and substance abuse services]  addiction
    20  services and supports shall periodically, in consultation with the state
    21  director  of veterans' services: (1) review the programs operated by the
    22  office to ensure that the needs of the state's veterans  who  served  in
    23  the  U.S.  armed  forces  and  who  are  recovering from [alcohol and/or
    24  substance abuse] an addiction disorder are  being  met  and  to  develop
    25  improvements  to  programs  to meet such needs; and (2) in collaboration
    26  with the state director of veterans' services and  the  commissioner  of
    27  the  office of mental health, review and make recommendations to improve
    28  programs that provide treatment, rehabilitation, relapse prevention, and
    29  recovery services to veterans who have served in  a  combat  theatre  or
    30  combat  zone  of  operations  and  have a co-occurring mental health and
    31  [alcoholism or substance abuse] addiction disorder.
    32    (j) The office, in consultation with the state  education  department,
    33  shall identify or develop materials on problem gambling among school-age
    34  youth  which  may  be used by school districts and boards of cooperative
    35  educational services, at  their  option,  to  educate  students  on  the
    36  dangers  and  consequences of problem gambling as they deem appropriate.
    37  Such materials shall be available on the internet website of  the  state
    38  education department. The internet website of the office shall provide a
    39  hyperlink  to  the  internet page of the state education department that
    40  displays such materials.
    41    (k) Heroin and opioid addiction awareness and education  program.  The
    42  commissioner,  in cooperation with the commissioner of the department of
    43  health, shall develop and conduct a  public  awareness  and  educational
    44  campaign  on  heroin  and  opioid  addiction. The campaign shall utilize
    45  public forums, social media and mass media, including, but  not  limited
    46  to,  internet, radio, and print advertising such as billboards and post-
    47  ers and shall also include posting of materials and information  on  the
    48  office  website.  The  campaign  shall  be  tailored  to  educate youth,
    49  parents, healthcare professionals and the general public regarding:  (1)
    50  the  risks  associated  with the abuse and misuse of heroin and opioids;
    51  (2) how to recognize the signs  of  addiction;  and  (3)  the  resources
    52  available  for those needing assistance with heroin or opioid addiction.
    53  The campaign shall further be  designed  to  enhance  awareness  of  the
    54  opioid  overdose prevention program authorized pursuant to section thir-
    55  ty-three hundred nine of the public health law and the  "Good  Samaritan
    56  law" established pursuant to sections 220.03 and 220.78 of the penal law

        A. 3848                             6

     1  and  section  390.40  of  the  criminal procedure law, and to reduce the
     2  stigma associated with addiction.
     3    (l)  The office of [alcoholism and substance abuse services] addiction
     4  services and supports, in consultation with the state education  depart-
     5  ment,  shall  develop  or  utilize  existing educational materials to be
     6  provided to school  districts  and  boards  of  cooperative  educational
     7  services  for  use  in  addition  to or in conjunction with any drug and
     8  alcohol related curriculum regarding the misuse and  abuse  of  alcohol,
     9  tobacco, prescription medication and other drugs with an increased focus
    10  on  substances  that  are most prevalent among school aged youth as such
    11  term is defined in section eight hundred four of the education law. Such
    12  materials shall be age appropriate for school age children, and  to  the
    13  extent  practicable,  shall include information or resources for parents
    14  to identify the warning signs and address the risks of substance [abuse]
    15  misuse and addiction.
    16    (m) (1) The office shall report on the status and outcomes  of  initi-
    17  atives  created  in  response  to  the heroin and opioid epidemic to the
    18  temporary president of the senate, the  speaker  of  the  assembly,  the
    19  chairs  of  the  assembly  and  senate committees on alcoholism and drug
    20  abuse, the chair of the assembly ways and means committee and the  chair
    21  of the senate finance committee.
    22    (2) Such reports shall include, to the extent practicable and applica-
    23  ble, information on:
    24    (i)  The  number  of  individuals  enrolled  in  the initiative in the
    25  preceding quarter;
    26    (ii) The number of individuals who completed the treatment program  in
    27  the preceding quarter;
    28    (iii)  The number of individuals discharged from the treatment program
    29  in the preceding quarter;
    30    (iv) The age and sex of the individuals served;
    31    (v) Relevant regional data about the individuals;
    32    (vi) The populations served; and
    33    (vii) The outcomes and effectiveness of each initiative surveyed.
    34    (3) Such initiatives shall include opioid treatment  programs,  crisis
    35  detoxification programs, 24/7 open access centers, adolescent club hous-
    36  es,  family  navigator  programs,  peer engagement specialists, recovery
    37  community and outreach centers, regional addiction resource centers  and
    38  the  state  implementation of the federal opioid state targeted response
    39  initiatives.
    40    (4) Such information shall be provided quarterly, beginning  no  later
    41  than July first, two thousand nineteen.
    42    (n)  The  office in consultation with the office of mental health, the
    43  department of health, the division of housing and community renewal  and
    44  any  other  agency  that  may  oversee an appropriate program or service
    45  shall monitor and ensure funds appropriated pursuant to section  ninety-
    46  nine-nn  of the state finance law are expended for services and programs
    47  in accordance with such section.
    48    [(n)] (o) The office of addiction services and supports, in  consulta-
    49  tion  with  the  commissioner  of  health, shall provide and publish, in
    50  electronic or other format, training materials for health  care  provid-
    51  ers,  as  defined by subdivision six of section two hundred thirty-eight
    52  of the public health law, and qualified health professionals, recognized
    53  by the office to enable  the  implementation  of  the  screening,  brief
    54  intervention,  and  referral to treatment program (SBIRT). Such training
    55  materials shall include any and all materials necessary to inform health
    56  care providers and qualified health  professionals  of  the  method  for

        A. 3848                             7

     1  administering  the SBIRT program to a patient in the care of health care
     2  providers or qualified health  professionals.  Such  training  materials
     3  shall  be  made  available to health care providers and qualified health
     4  professionals  through  the  official  websites  of  the  office and the
     5  department of health and by any other means deemed  appropriate  by  the
     6  commissioner.
     7    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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