Bill Text: NY S05274 | 2023-2024 | 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 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH [S05274 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S05274-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5274

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      March 1, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed 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
    25  governing  body  of such home shall consist of current or former recipi-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04233-01-3
        S. 5274                             2

     1  ents of mental health services and shall  control  the  decision  making
     2  processes  of  the  organization,  including  control  of all budget and
     3  personnel management related to the peer crisis diversion home.
     4    (b)  The commissioner shall provide formal guidelines for training and
     5  credentialing of a peer support  specialist,  provided  that  each  peer
     6  support  specialist  shall personally have experienced urgent behavioral
     7  health needs and shall be certified as completing training in de-escala-
     8  tion techniques, cultural competency, race relations, the recovery proc-
     9  ess, substance abuse, and avoidance of aggressive confrontation prior to
    10  working at a peer crisis diversion home.
    11    (c) The commissioner shall, within one year of the effective  date  of
    12  this  section,  establish  or  contract for the establishment of no less
    13  than six peer crisis diversion homes, three of which shall be  in  urban
    14  settings  and  three  of which shall be in rural communities. Such homes
    15  shall be recipient-run homes and may be  associated  with  comprehensive
    16  psychiatric  emergency programs established pursuant to section 31.27 of
    17  this article.
    18    (d) A peer crisis diversion home, as authorized by this section, shall
    19  offer crisis diversion services that:
    20    (1) serve residents regardless of income;
    21    (2) are staffed twenty-four hours a day by two or  more  peer  support
    22  specialists;
    23    (3) employ a licensed clinician full time and a psychiatric consultant
    24  at least part time;
    25    (4)  include  peer  support  in helping residents perform daily public
    26  living skills and reentry into independent living;
    27    (5) offer a mix  of  therapeutic  services,  including  nontraditional
    28  tools for wellness and traditional behavioral health services;
    29    (6) accept a resident on a first-come, first-served basis for a tempo-
    30  rary  stay provided they have alternate long term housing options avail-
    31  able;
    32    (7) use interpersonal relationship and connection to the community  as
    33  primary modalities of care;
    34    (8)  base  length  of  stay  on  the psychological state of residents,
    35  provided that such stay shall be short term with the understanding  they
    36  are  able and willing to live in more independent settings and to resume
    37  their desired roles in the community; and
    38    (9) are a part of a system of care  continuum  in  the  community  and
    39  state  aimed  at  diverting  individuals  experiencing behavioral health
    40  crisis from more intensive hospital based care and treatment by  provid-
    41  ing  peer support services in a home-like setting for short term, tempo-
    42  rary stays.
    43    (e) As early as possible, a peer support  specialist  shall  assist  a
    44  resident of a peer crisis home with accessing a service provider who may
    45  coordinate care and otherwise provide support for such resident upon the
    46  completion of such resident's stay at a peer crisis diversion home.
    47    (f)  Peer  crisis  diversion homes shall consult with community stake-
    48  holders, including those who use the behavioral health system and  their
    49  family  members, providers of behavioral health services, whether tradi-
    50  tional or alternative, advocates, and others with subject matter  exper-
    51  tise,  as  part of the planning and development of peer crisis diversion
    52  homes.
    53    (g) Peer crisis diversion homes shall participate in county and commu-
    54  nity planning activities annually, and as needed, in  order  to  partic-
    55  ipate in local community service planning processes to ensure, maintain,
    56  improve   or   develop  community  services  that  demonstrate  recovery
        S. 5274                             3

     1  outcomes. These outcomes include, but are not  limited  to,  quality  of
     2  life,  socio-economic  status,  entitlement  status,  social networking,
     3  coping skills and reduction in use of crisis services.
     4    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.