Bill Text: NY A08589 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes peer crisis diversion homes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to mental health [A08589 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A08589-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         8589
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   December 2, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  RICHARDSON  -- 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  S 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
   25  GOVERNING  BODY  OF SUCH HOME SHALL CONSIST OF CURRENT OR FORMER RECIPI-
   26  ENTS OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND SHALL  CONTROL  THE  DECISION  MAKING
   27  PROCESSES  OF  THE  ORGANIZATION,  INCLUDING  CONTROL  OF ALL BUDGET AND
   28  PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT RELATED TO THE PEER CRISIS DIVERSION HOME.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD06767-01-5
       A. 8589                             2
    1    (B) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROVIDE FORMAL GUIDELINES FOR TRAINING  AND
    2  CREDENTIALING  OF  A  PEER  SUPPORT  SPECIALIST, PROVIDED THAT EACH PEER
    3  SUPPORT SPECIALIST SHALL PERSONALLY HAVE EXPERIENCED  URGENT  BEHAVIORAL
    4  HEALTH NEEDS AND SHALL BE CERTIFIED AS COMPLETING TRAINING IN DE-ESCALA-
    5  TION TECHNIQUES, CULTURAL COMPETENCY, RACE RELATIONS, THE RECOVERY PROC-
    6  ESS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND AVOIDANCE OF AGGRESSIVE CONFRONTATION PRIOR TO
    7  WORKING AT A PEER CRISIS DIVERSION HOME.
    8    (C) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL, WITHIN ONE YEAR OF ENACTMENT, ESTABLISH OR
    9  CONTRACT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NO LESS THAN SIX PEER CRISIS DIVERSION
   10  HOMES,  THREE  OF  WHICH  SHALL  BE IN URBAN SETTINGS AND THREE OF WHICH
   11  SHALL BE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. SUCH HOMES SHALL BE  RECIPIENT-RUN  HOMES
   12  AND  MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY PROGRAMS
   13  ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION 31.27 OF THIS ARTICLE.
   14    (D) A PEER CRISIS DIVERSION HOME, AS AUTHORIZED BY THIS SECTION, SHALL
   15  OFFER CRISIS DIVERSION SERVICES THAT:
   16    (1) SERVE RESIDENTS REGARDLESS OF INCOME;
   17    (2) ARE STAFFED TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY BY TWO OR  MORE  PEER  SUPPORT
   18  SPECIALISTS;
   19    (3) EMPLOY A LICENSED CLINICIAN FULL TIME AND A PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTANT
   20  AT LEAST PART TIME;
   21    (4)  INCLUDE  PEER  SUPPORT  IN HELPING RESIDENTS PERFORM DAILY PUBLIC
   22  LIVING SKILLS AND REENTRY INTO INDEPENDENT LIVING;
   23    (5) OFFER A MIX  OF  THERAPEUTIC  SERVICES,  INCLUDING  NONTRADITIONAL
   24  TOOLS FOR WELLNESS AND TRADITIONAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES;
   25    (6) ACCEPT A RESIDENT ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS FOR A TEMPO-
   26  RARY  STAY PROVIDED THEY HAVE ALTERNATE LONG TERM HOUSING OPTIONS AVAIL-
   27  ABLE;
   28    (7) USE INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP AND CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY  AS
   29  PRIMARY MODALITIES OF CARE;
   30    (8)  BASE  LENGTH  OF  STAY  ON  THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE OF RESIDENTS,
   31  PROVIDED THAT SUCH STAY SHALL BE SHORT TERM WITH THE UNDERSTANDING  THEY
   32  ARE  ABLE AND WILLING TO LIVE IN MORE INDEPENDENT SETTINGS AND TO RESUME
   33  THEIR DESIRED ROLES IN THE COMMUNITY; AND
   34    (9) ARE A PART OF A SYSTEM OF CARE  CONTINUUM  IN  THE  COMMUNITY  AND
   35  STATE  AIMED  AT  DIVERTING  INDIVIDUALS  EXPERIENCING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
   36  CRISIS FROM MORE INTENSIVE HOSPITAL BASED CARE AND TREATMENT BY  PROVID-
   37  ING  PEER SUPPORT SERVICES IN A HOME-LIKE SETTING FOR SHORT TERM, TEMPO-
   38  RARY STAYS.
   39    (E) AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, A PEER SUPPORT  SPECIALIST  SHALL  ASSIST  A
   40  RESIDENT OF A PEER CRISIS HOME WITH ACCESSING A SERVICE PROVIDER WHO MAY
   41  COORDINATE CARE AND OTHERWISE PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR SUCH RESIDENT UPON THE
   42  COMPLETION OF SUCH RESIDENT'S STAY AT A PEER CRISIS DIVERSION HOME.
   43    (F)  PEER  CRISIS  DIVERSION HOMES SHALL CONSULT WITH COMMUNITY STAKE-
   44  HOLDERS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO USE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM AND  THEIR
   45  FAMILY  MEMBERS, PROVIDERS OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, WHETHER TRADI-
   46  TIONAL OR ALTERNATIVE, ADVOCATES, AND OTHERS WITH SUBJECT MATTER  EXPER-
   47  TISE,  AS  PART OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF PEER CRISIS DIVERSION
   48  HOMES.
   49    (G) PEER CRISIS DIVERSION HOMES SHALL PARTICIPATE IN COUNTY AND COMMU-
   50  NITY PLANNING ACTIVITIES ANNUALLY, AND AS NEEDED, IN  ORDER  TO  PARTIC-
   51  IPATE IN LOCAL COMMUNITY SERVICE PLANNING PROCESSES TO ENSURE, MAINTAIN,
   52  IMPROVE   OR   DEVELOP  COMMUNITY  SERVICES  THAT  DEMONSTRATE  RECOVERY
   53  OUTCOMES. THESE OUTCOMES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT  LIMITED  TO,  QUALITY  OF
   54  LIFE,  SOCIO-ECONOMIC  STATUS,  ENTITLEMENT  STATUS,  SOCIAL NETWORKING,
   55  COPING SKILLS AND REDUCTION IN USE OF CRISIS SERVICES.
   56    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.