Bill Text: NY S06622 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes the direct support professional credential pilot program to assist and attract individuals into the field of direct support, advance direct support as a career and professionalize the field to promote workforce recruitment and retention efforts, while creating a career ladder; requires the office for people with developmental disabilities to administer such pilot program for three years; makes related provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-19 - REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES [S06622 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-S06622-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6622
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   February 19, 2014
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health and Develop-
         mental Disabilities
       AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing  the
         direct support professional credential pilot program
         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  13.41 to read as follows:
    3  S 13.41 DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIAL PILOT PROGRAM.
    4    (A) THE OFFICE SHALL INITIATE A PROGRAM TO CONTINUE TO GAIN THE EXPER-
    5  TISE  AND  KNOWLEDGE  OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES WORKFORCE AND OF
    6  THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION NEEDS
    7  THROUGHOUT THE FIELD.  THE  OFFICE  SHALL  IMPLEMENT  A  DIRECT  SUPPORT
    8  PROFESSIONAL  CREDENTIAL PILOT PROGRAM TO ASSIST AND ATTRACT INDIVIDUALS
    9  INTO THE FIELD OF DIRECT SUPPORT, ADVANCE DIRECT SUPPORT AS A CAREER AND
   10  PROFESSIONALIZE THE FIELD TO PROMOTE WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
   11  EFFORTS, ADVANCE SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES, AND FURTHER ENSURE THE HEALTH,
   12  SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF INDIVIDUALS BEING SERVED.
   13    (B) THERE HEREBY IS CREATED THE DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIAL
   14  PILOT PROGRAM WITHIN THE OFFICE  TO  ASSIST  INDIVIDUALS  IN  THE  FIELD
   15  OBTAIN A CREDENTIAL IN THEIR FIELD OF EXPERTISE.
   16    (1)  SUCH  PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE OFFICE FOR THREE
   17  YEARS. THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL  INCLUDE  STATE-OPERATED  FACILITIES  AND
   18  NOT-FOR-PROFIT  PROVIDERS,  LICENSED  AND  CERTIFIED BY THE OFFICE.  THE
   19  PURPOSE OF THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE TO ASSESS HOW THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
   20  A STATE ACCREDITED DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIAL: (A)  PROMOTES
   21  RECRUITMENT  AND  RETENTION  EFFORTS  IN  THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
   22  FIELD, NOTABLY THE DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL  POSITION;  (B)  ENHANCES
   23  COMPETENCE  IN  THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES FIELD; (C) YIELDS QUALITY
   24  SUPPORTS AND SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS  WITH  DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITIES;
   25  AND  (D)  ADVANCES  THE  HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH BY THE
   26  STATE.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD10817-04-4
       S. 6622                             2
    1    (2) THE OFFICE IN ADMINISTERING THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL CONSIDER,  BUT
    2  NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING:
    3    (A)  BEST  PRACTICES LEARNING INITIATIVES, INCLUDING THE UNIVERSITY OF
    4  MINNESOTA'S COLLEGE OF DIRECT SUPPORT AND NEW YORK STATE DIRECT  SUPPORT
    5  PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES;
    6    (B) NATIONAL DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES OR CREDENTIALING
    7  BASED STANDARDS AND TRAININGS;
    8    (C) FACILITATING DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT;
    9    (D) THE ROLE AND VALUE OF SKILL MENTORS; AND
   10    (E) CREATING A CAREER LADDER.
   11    (3)  DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIAL MEANS A DOCUMENT ISSUED TO
   12  AN INDIVIDUAL BY A RECOGNIZED ACCREDITING BODY ATTESTING THAT SUCH INDI-
   13  VIDUAL HAS  MET  THE  PROFESSIONAL  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  CREDENTIALING
   14  PROGRAM BY THE OFFICE.
   15    (4)  THE  OFFICE  SHALL PRODUCE A REPORT DETAILING THE PROGRESS OF THE
   16  PILOT PROGRAM, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   17    (A) THE RATE OF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION FOR DIRECT  SUPPORT  PROFES-
   18  SIONALS  OF PROVIDERS PARTICIPATING IN THE PILOT PROGRAM COMPARED TO THE
   19  RATE FOR NON-PARTICIPATING PROVIDERS;
   20    (B) THE NUMBER OF DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS CREDENTIALED; AND
   21    (C) THE ENHANCEMENT OF QUALITY SUPPORTS AND  SERVICES  TO  INDIVIDUALS
   22  WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
   23    S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
   24  it shall have become a law.