Bill Text: NY S07238 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a mental wellness group pilot program to partner with insurance companies to facilitate group therapy sessions for children ages ten through eighteen.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH [S07238 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S07238-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7238

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 18, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  ASHBY  -- 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  a
          mental wellness group 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  7.48 to read as follows:
     3  § 7.48 Mental wellness group pilot program.
     4    1.  (a)  There is hereby created within the office the mental wellness
     5  group pilot program. The purpose of the pilot program is to partner with
     6  insurance companies to facilitate group therapy  sessions  for  children
     7  ages ten through eighteen.
     8    (b)  The  office  shall  be  authorized and directed to promulgate all
     9  necessary rules and regulations required to implement the  mental  well-
    10  ness  group  pilot program. Such pilot program shall gather together two
    11  or more children to form mental wellness groups.  Such children shall be
    12  at least ten years old and no older than eighteen. Such  children  shall
    13  be  active participants in the group and shall help to develop the goals
    14  they wish to reach. The mental wellness group shall help students  iden-
    15  tify  problems,  causes,  alternatives and possible consequences so they
    16  can make decisions and take appropriate actions and help students  over-
    17  come issues impeding achievement or success;
    18    2.  (a) The office shall contract with regional insurance companies to
    19  administer the pilot program under this section. The office shall  award
    20  competitive  grants of up to five hundred thousand dollars each year for
    21  a period of up to five years to each insurance company that demonstrates
    22  the ability to implement the pilot program under this section  in  their
    23  region, has an outreach plan, and has the ability to contract with coun-
    24  seling  services.  The  office  shall  determine  the qualifications and
    25  professions that are eligible to supply counseling services.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11547-01-3
        S. 7238                             2

     1    (b) Contracts with insurance companies under this subdivision shall be
     2  for a period of five years and shall be reevaluated by the office  every
     3  twelve  months  to  ensure such companies continue to provide a positive
     4  benefit to the community and conform to the program criteria.
     5    (c)  Contracted  insurance companies under this subdivision shall work
     6  with regional school districts to implement mental wellness  groups,  as
     7  developed  by  the  pilot  program  to coordinate their efforts with the
     8  local county mental health departments or programs or other lead  mental
     9  health  organizations  in  counties  and cities within the region of the
    10  contracted insurance company and shall establish a referral  system  and
    11  linkages  to existing area mental wellness programs and financing sourc-
    12  es.
    13    3. A contracted insurance  company  administering  the  pilot  program
    14  shall  provide  technical  assistance  to  implement  the  program which
    15  includes, but is not limited to:
    16    (a) Access to affordable information services and counseling services,
    17  including information on the region and demographics of the children;
    18    (b) Development of mental wellness connections, including  interaction
    19  and  exchange  among local mental health groups, and resource providers,
    20  including, peer-to-peer learning sessions, and mentoring programs;
    21    (c) Assistance in understanding state laws and regulations  applicable
    22  to such insurance companies; and
    23    (d)  Any  other form of consultation and technical assistance that may
    24  be provided to the eligible business to assist with its marketing needs.
    25    4. The commissioner  shall  by  regulation,  establish  the  mandatory
    26  reports,  the persons or entities with whom such reports shall be filed,
    27  and the treatment services that may be offered or directed by  a  mental
    28  wellness group.
    29    5.  The  department  shall review the progress of the pilot program at
    30  least  once  every  twelve  months  and  shall  determine  whether   the
    31  contracted entity is meeting its contractual obligations for administer-
    32  ing the pilot program. The department may terminate and rebid a contract
    33  if the contracted insurance company does not meet.
    34    6.  For  the  purposes  of  this section, the term "insurance company"
    35  shall mean a company doing an insurance  business  pursuant  to  section
    36  eleven hundred one of the insurance law.
    37    §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
    38  have become a law.