Bill Text: NY A02267 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes peer crisis diversion homes; requires the commissioner to establish or contract for no less than six peer crisis diversion homes within one year.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to mental health [A02267 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A02267-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          2267
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 22, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  RICHARDSON, RIVERA, HYNDMAN, WALKER, NIOU --
          Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SIMON -- read once and referred to  the
          Committee on Mental Health
        AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing peer
          crisis diversion homes
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a  new  section
     2  31.34 to read as follows:
     3  § 31.34 Peer crisis diversion homes.
     4    (a) For the purposes of this section:
     5    (1) "commissioner" shall mean the commissioner of mental health;
     6    (2)  "crisis  diversion  services"  shall  mean  services  designed to
     7  provide a person who has behavioral health disorders and who is  experi-
     8  encing  symptoms,  a safe, supportive and affirming home-like, temporary
     9  residence where the person may begin the  recovery  process,  understand
    10  the  meaning  of  what the person is experiencing and regain equilibrium
    11  and the ability to relate effectively to other people. Crisis  diversion
    12  services  include peer support with an emphasis on relationship-building
    13  and personal choice;
    14    (3) "peer support specialist" shall mean a person who  has  previously
    15  experienced urgent behavioral health needs and has recovered and who has
    16  successfully  completed  training  that has been approved by the commis-
    17  sioner, qualifying that person to work with a resident;
    18    (4) "resident" shall mean an adult who has experienced  urgent  behav-
    19  ioral  health  needs but does not require hospitalization and who volun-
    20  tarily resides for a short term stay in a peer crisis diversion home;
    21    (5) "peer crisis diversion home" shall mean  a  home-like  environment
    22  that  offers  crisis diversion services by temporarily housing voluntary
    23  residents who engage in routine activities of  daily  living  and  learn
    24  about  tools  for  recovery  through  experience  and  peer support. The
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04451-01-9
        A. 2267                             2
     1  governing body of such home shall consist of current or  former  recipi-
     2  ents  of  mental  health  services and shall control the decision making
     3  processes of the organization,  including  control  of  all  budget  and
     4  personnel management related to the peer crisis diversion home.
     5    (b)  The commissioner shall provide formal guidelines for training and
     6  credentialing of a peer support  specialist,  provided  that  each  peer
     7  support  specialist  shall personally have experienced urgent behavioral
     8  health needs and shall be certified as completing training in de-escala-
     9  tion techniques, cultural competency, race relations, the recovery proc-
    10  ess, substance abuse, and avoidance of aggressive confrontation prior to
    11  working at a peer crisis diversion home.
    12    (c) The commissioner shall, within one year of the effective  date  of
    13  this  section,  establish  or  contract for the establishment of no less
    14  than six peer crisis diversion homes, three of which shall be  in  urban
    15  settings  and  three  of which shall be in rural communities. Such homes
    16  shall be recipient-run homes and may be  associated  with  comprehensive
    17  psychiatric  emergency programs established pursuant to section 31.27 of
    18  this article.
    19    (d) A peer crisis diversion home, as authorized by this section, shall
    20  offer crisis diversion services that:
    21    (1) serve residents regardless of income;
    22    (2) are staffed twenty-four hours a day by two or  more  peer  support
    23  specialists;
    24    (3) employ a licensed clinician full time and a psychiatric consultant
    25  at least part time;
    26    (4)  include  peer  support  in helping residents perform daily public
    27  living skills and reentry into independent living;
    28    (5) offer a mix  of  therapeutic  services,  including  nontraditional
    29  tools for wellness and traditional behavioral health services;
    30    (6) accept a resident on a first-come, first-served basis for a tempo-
    31  rary  stay provided they have alternate long term housing options avail-
    32  able;
    33    (7) use interpersonal relationship and connection to the community  as
    34  primary modalities of care;
    35    (8)  base  length  of  stay  on  the psychological state of residents,
    36  provided that such stay shall be short term with the understanding  they
    37  are  able and willing to live in more independent settings and to resume
    38  their desired roles in the community; and
    39    (9) are a part of a system of care  continuum  in  the  community  and
    40  state  aimed  at  diverting  individuals  experiencing behavioral health
    41  crisis from more intensive hospital based care and treatment by  provid-
    42  ing  peer support services in a home-like setting for short term, tempo-
    43  rary stays.
    44    (e) As early as possible, a peer support  specialist  shall  assist  a
    45  resident of a peer crisis home with accessing a service provider who may
    46  coordinate care and otherwise provide support for such resident upon the
    47  completion of such resident's stay at a peer crisis diversion home.
    48    (f)  Peer  crisis  diversion homes shall consult with community stake-
    49  holders, including those who use the behavioral health system and  their
    50  family  members, providers of behavioral health services, whether tradi-
    51  tional or alternative, advocates, and others with subject matter  exper-
    52  tise,  as  part of the planning and development of peer crisis diversion
    53  homes.
    54    (g) Peer crisis diversion homes shall participate in county and commu-
    55  nity planning activities annually, and as needed, in  order  to  partic-
    56  ipate in local community service planning processes to ensure, maintain,
        A. 2267                             3
     1  improve   or   develop  community  services  that  demonstrate  recovery
     2  outcomes. These outcomes include, but are not  limited  to,  quality  of
     3  life,  socio-economic  status,  entitlement  status,  social networking,
     4  coping skills and reduction in use of crisis services.
     5    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.