Bill Text: NY S04261 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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

---

Bill Title: Establishes a peer support program for veterans.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-28 - PRINT NUMBER 4261A [S04261 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S04261-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          4261
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                      March 5, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced by Sens. PARKER, SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed,
          and  when  printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Home-
          land Security and Military 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
        S. 4261                             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.