Bill Text: NY A02945 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Assembly Bill 2945 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Establishes a peer support program for veterans.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-19 - print number 2945a [A02945 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A02945-Introduced.html

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          2945
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 28, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by M. of A. ORTIZ, BARRETT, CRESPO, DenDEKKER, OTIS, MALLIO-
          TAKIS, MORINELLO -- read once and referred to the Committee on  Veter-
          ans' Affairs
        AN  ACT  to  amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
          peer support program for veterans
          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  7.42 to read as follows:
     3  § 7.42 Peer support program for veterans.
     4    (a) For the purpose of this section the term "peer  support  services"
     5  shall  mean  any  service designated by the office used in the treatment
     6  and recovery of mental illness, alcohol abuse, substance  abuse,  and/or
     7  chemical dependence that is delivered by a certified peer counselor; and
     8  the  term  "certified  peer  counselor"  shall  mean  an individual with
     9  personal experience as a mental health recipient and/or an individual in
    10  recovery from alcohol abuse, substance abuse,  and/or  chemical  depend-
    11  ence,  who  has  served  in  the active military or naval service of the
    12  United States and has been released from such service otherwise than  by
    13  dishonorable  discharge and as documented by his or her discharge papers
    14  or who has been furloughed to the reserve components of the armed forces
    15  of the United States who has training, credentials or experience  recog-
    16  nized by the office.
    17    (b)  Notwithstanding  any  other provision of law to the contrary, the
    18  commissioner, in conjunction with the  commissioner  of  alcoholism  and
    19  substance  abuse  services,  and  the  state director of the division of
    20  veterans' affairs shall develop and establish a minimum of two  regional
    21  peer  support services programs for veterans.  One regional peer support
    22  services program shall be located within the city of New  York  and  one
    23  regional  peer  support services program shall be located in upstate New
    24  York outside of the city of New York or Long Island.  Services  provided
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07139-01-9

        A. 2945                             2
     1  by  the  peer support services program shall include, but not be limited
     2  to, peer counseling for mental illness including  post-traumatic  stress
     3  disorder,  alcohol and substance abuse counseling, information on access
     4  to  services, family support services, and where applicable, specialized
     5  services for female veterans.
     6    (c) The commissioner, in conjunction  with  the  commissioner  of  the
     7  office of alcoholism and substance abuse services and the state director
     8  of  the  division  of  veterans'  affairs  shall foster programs for the
     9  training and development of persons capable of  providing  the  services
    10  set  forth  in this section, including, but not limited to, a process of
    11  issuing, either directly or through contract, credentials for  certified
    12  peer counselors in accordance with the following:
    13    1.  The  office  shall  establish minimum qualifications for certified
    14  peer counselors in all phases of delivery of services  to  veterans  who
    15  are  suffering  from  any  or  a  combination of the following:   mental
    16  illness, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, and/or chemical dependence that
    17  shall include, but not be limited to, completion of approved courses  of
    18  study  or  equivalent  on-the-job experience in mental health counseling
    19  and/or alcoholism and substance abuse counseling; and
    20    2. The office shall establish  procedures  for  issuing,  directly  or
    21  through  contract,  credentials  to  certified  peer counselors who meet
    22  minimum  qualifications,  and  shall  further  establish  procedures  to
    23  suspend, revoke, or annul such credentials for good cause.
    24    §  2.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
    25  have become a law.  Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
    26  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
    27  this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
    28  on or before such date.