Bill Text: NY A06094 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Directs the director of the state office for the aging, in consultation with the commissioner of alcoholism and substance abuse services, to develop elderly alcoholism prevention, education and treatment demonstration programs for senior citizens which will utilize the existing aging service delivery system.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-05-08 - reported referred to ways and means [A06094 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-A06094-Introduced.html

---

                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6094
                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                     March 7, 2011
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  COOK, ORTIZ, PHEFFER, ROBINSON, SCHROEDER --
         Multi-Sponsored by -- M.   of A.  CLARK,  GOTTFRIED,  HOOPER,  LENTOL,
         MAISEL,  McENENY,  J. RIVERA,  SCARBOROUGH,  TOWNS  --  read  once and
         referred to the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
       AN ACT to establish senior citizen  alcoholism  treatment  and  training
         demonstration programs
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Legislative intent. The latest New York State census  iden-
    2  tifies  twelve  and three-tenths percent of the state's residents as age
    3  sixty-five or older.  The  New  York  state  office  of  alcoholism  and
    4  substance  abuse  services  has identified chemical abuse and dependence
    5  among the elder population as a serious and growing  problem.  This  can
    6  result  from  isolation,  depression  or  the  interaction of prescribed
    7  drugs. Too many professionals: doctors, nurses, pharmacists  and  social
    8  workers  are  unfamiliar with the science of gerontology and the special
    9  physiological and psychological needs of the elderly. In addition,  many
   10  community-based  programs and facilities, nursing homes and senior citi-
   11  zen centers are not aware of the incidence of chemical abuse and depend-
   12  ence among the elderly and do not have the expertise to recognize  their
   13  clients'  problems,  resulting in a barrier to prevention, detection and
   14  treatment.
   15    It is, therefore, the intention of the legislature to eliminate barri-
   16  ers to effective chemical abuse and dependence services through this act
   17  by establishing  chemical  abuse  prevention,  education  and  treatment
   18  demonstration  programs  for senior citizens in the office of alcoholism
   19  and substance abuse services.
   20    S 2. The commissioner of alcoholism and substance  abuse  services  in
   21  consultation with the director of the office for the aging shall develop
   22  comprehensive  chemical abuse prevention, education and treatment demon-
   23  stration programs to address the unique needs of the elderly.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD02509-01-1
       A. 6094                             2
    1    S 3. Subject to appropriation,  funds  for  support  of  demonstration
    2  projects  for  the  purposes  stated in section two of this act shall be
    3  allocated to eligible local  governments  and  not-for-profit  providers
    4  through  a  request for proposal process to be designed by the office of
    5  alcoholism  and substance abuse services in consultation with the office
    6  for the aging.
    7    S 4. In reviewing applications for funding, the commissioner of  alco-
    8  holism  and  substance  abuse  services  shall  consider such factors as
    9  program cost-effectiveness; the  ability  of  such  proposals  to  offer
   10  programmatically appropriate, long-term, stable services; and the abili-
   11  ty of such proposals to enable elderly persons to receive chemical abuse
   12  and dependence services; and geographic need. While incidence and preva-
   13  lence  shall be significant factors in the distribution of funds, demon-
   14  stration projects approved pursuant to this act shall be established  in
   15  regions across the state.
   16    S 5. No expenditure shall be made until the commissioner of alcoholism
   17  and  substance abuse services has approved a program and fiscal plan for
   18  chemical abuse and dependence prevention, education and treatment demon-
   19  stration projects. Such plan shall include, but not be limited  to,  the
   20  following:
   21    i.  Specific  criteria  to  be  applied in evaluating the requests for
   22  proposal;
   23    ii. Uniform program and cost standards;
   24    iii. Criteria to be used to evaluate the outcome of the  demonstration
   25  projects,  including  specific  requirements  to  be met by providers of
   26  service.
   27    S 6. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
   28  the date on which it shall have become a law.