Bill Text: NY S07565 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to establishing family support centers for youth at risk of being, or alleged or adjudicated to be juvenile delinquents or persons in need of supervision; authorizes reimbursement to counties.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-05-24 - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE [S07565 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-S07565-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          7565
                    IN SENATE
                                      May 10, 2016
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  MONTGOMERY  -- read twice and ordered printed, and
          when printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families
        AN ACT to amend  the  family  court  act,  in  relation  to  authorizing
          probation in juvenile delinquent cases to be conditional upon referral
          for  certain family services; and to amend the social services law, in
          relation to family support centers and state reimbursement for expend-
          itures made by social services districts for various services
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  Paragraph  (e)  of  subdivision 2 of section 353.2 of the
     2  family court act, as amended by chapter 124 of  the  laws  of  1993,  is
     3  amended to read as follows:
     4    (e)  co-operate  with a mental health, social services or other appro-
     5  priate community facility or agency to which the respondent is referred,
     6  including a family support center pursuant to title  twelve  of  article
     7  six of the social services law;
     8    §  2.  Article 6 of the social services law is amended by adding a new
     9  title 12 to read as follows:
    10                                  TITLE 12
    11                           FAMILY SUPPORT CENTERS
    12  Section 458-m. Family support centers.
    13          458-n. Funding for family support centers.
    14    § 458-m. Family support centers. 1. As used in this  title,  the  term
    15  "family  support  center"  shall  mean a program established pursuant to
    16  this title to provide community-based supportive services  to  youth  at
    17  risk of being, or alleged or adjudicated to be persons in need of super-
    18  vision  pursuant  to  article  seven  of the family court act, and their
    19  families.  Family  support  centers  may  also  provide  community-based
    20  supportive  services to youth who are alleged or adjudicated to be juve-
    21  nile delinquents pursuant to article three of the family court  act  and
    22  youth  aged sixteen, seventeen and eighteen who are accused or convicted
    23  of crimes.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14807-02-6

        S. 7565                             2
     1    2. Family support centers shall provide comprehensive services to such
     2  children and their families, either directly or through  referrals  with
     3  partner agencies, including, but not limited to:
     4    (a) rapid family assessments and screenings;
     5    (b) crisis intervention;
     6    (c) family mediation and skills building;
     7    (d)  mental  and  behavioral health services as defined in subdivision
     8  fifty-eight of section 1.03 of the mental hygiene law  including  cogni-
     9  tive interventions;
    10    (e) case management;
    11    (f) respite services; and
    12    (g) other family support services.
    13    3.  To the extent practicable, the services that are provided shall be
    14  trauma sensitive, family focused, gender-responsive, where  appropriate,
    15  and evidence and/or strength based and shall be tailored to the individ-
    16  ualized  needs  of  the  child  and  family based on the assessments and
    17  screenings conducted by such family support center.
    18    4. Family support centers shall have the capacity  to  serve  families
    19  outside of regular business hours including evenings or weekends.
    20    §  458-n.  Funding  for family support centers. 1. Notwithstanding any
    21  other provision of law to the contrary,  state  reimbursement  shall  be
    22  made  available  for  one hundred percent of expenditures made by social
    23  services districts, exclusive of any federal funds  made  available  for
    24  such purpose, for family support centers statewide.
    25    2.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, family
    26  support centers shall be established in each  social  services  district
    27  throughout  the  state  with  the approval of the office of children and
    28  family services, provided however  that  two  or  more  social  services
    29  districts  may join together to establish, operate and maintain a family
    30  support center and may make and perform agreements in connection  there-
    31  with.
    32    3.  Social  services districts may contract with not-for-profit corpo-
    33  rations or utilize existing programs to operate family  support  centers
    34  in accordance with the provisions of this title and the specific program
    35  requirements  issued  by  the  office. Family support centers shall have
    36  sufficient capacity to provide  services  to  youth  within  the  social
    37  services  district  or districts who are at risk of becoming, alleged or
    38  adjudicated to be persons in need of  supervision  pursuant  to  article
    39  seven  of  the family court act, and their families. In addition, to the
    40  extent practicable, family support centers may provide services to youth
    41  who are alleged or adjudicated under article three of the  family  court
    42  act.
    43    4.  Social services districts receiving funding under this title shall
    44  report to the office of children and family services, in  the  form  and
    45  manner and at such times as determined by the office, on the performance
    46  outcomes  of any family support center located within such district that
    47  receives funding under this title.
    48    § 3. Subdivision 8 of section 404 of the social services law, as added
    49  by section 1 of subpart A of part G of chapter 57 of the laws  of  2012,
    50  is amended to read as follows:
    51    8.  (a)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary[,]
    52  except as provided for in paragraph (a-1) of this subdivision,  eligible
    53  expenditures  during  the  applicable  time  periods  made  by  a social
    54  services district for an approved juvenile  justice  services  close  to
    55  home  initiative  shall, if approved by the department of family assist-
    56  ance, be subject to reimbursement with state funds only up to the extent

        S. 7565                             3
     1  of an annual  appropriation  made  specifically  therefor,  after  first
     2  deducting  therefrom  any  federal  funds  properly  received  or  to be
     3  received on account thereof; provided, however,  that  when  such  funds
     4  have  been  exhausted,  a  social  services  district  may receive state
     5  reimbursement from other available state appropriations for  that  state
     6  fiscal  year for eligible expenditures for services that otherwise would
     7  be reimbursable under such funding streams. Any claims  submitted  by  a
     8  social services district for reimbursement for a particular state fiscal
     9  year  for  which  the  social  services  district does not receive state
    10  reimbursement from the annual appropriation for the  approved  close  to
    11  home initiative may not be claimed against that district's appropriation
    12  for the initiative for the next or any subsequent state fiscal year.
    13    (i)  State  funding  for  reimbursement shall be, subject to appropri-
    14  ation,  in  the  following  amounts:  for  state  fiscal  year  2013-14,
    15  $35,200,000  adjusted by any changes in such amount required by subpara-
    16  graphs (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph; for state fiscal year  2014-15,
    17  $41,400,000  adjusted  to  include the amount of any changes made to the
    18  state fiscal year 2013-14 appropriation  under  subparagraphs  (ii)  and
    19  (iii)  of  this  paragraph  plus any additional changes required by such
    20  subparagraphs; and, such reimbursement shall be,  subject  to  appropri-
    21  ation,  for all subsequent state fiscal years in the amount of the prior
    22  year's actual appropriation adjusted by any changes required by subpara-
    23  graphs (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph.
    24    (ii) The reimbursement amounts set forth in subparagraph (i)  of  this
    25  paragraph  shall  be  increased  or decreased by the percentage that the
    26  average of the most recently approved maximum state aid rates for  group
    27  residential  foster care programs is higher or lower than the average of
    28  the approved maximum state aid rates for group residential  foster  care
    29  programs  in  existence  immediately prior to the most recently approved
    30  rates.
    31    (iii) The reimbursement amounts set forth in subparagraph (i) of  this
    32  paragraph  shall  be increased if either the population of alleged juve-
    33  nile delinquents who receive a probation intake or the total  population
    34  of  adjudicated  juvenile  delinquents placed on probation combined with
    35  the population of adjudicated juvenile delinquents placed out  of  their
    36  homes  in  a  setting  other  than a secure facility pursuant to section
    37  352.2 of the family court act, increases by at least  ten  percent  over
    38  the respective population in the annual baseline year. The baseline year
    39  shall be the period from July first, two thousand ten through June thir-
    40  tieth,  two  thousand  eleven or the most recent twelve month period for
    41  which there is complete data, whichever is  later.  In  each  successive
    42  year,  the  population of the previous July first through June thirtieth
    43  period shall be compared  to  the  baseline  year  for  determining  any
    44  adjustments to a state fiscal year appropriation. When either population
    45  increases  by ten percent or more, the reimbursement will be adjusted by
    46  a percentage equal to the larger of the percentage  increase  in  either
    47  the  number of probation intakes for alleged juvenile delinquents or the
    48  total population of adjudicated juvenile delinquents placed on probation
    49  combined with the population of adjudicated juvenile delinquents  placed
    50  out of their homes in a setting other than a secure facility pursuant to
    51  section 352.2 of the family court act.
    52    (iv)  The social services district and/or the New York city department
    53  of probation shall provide an annual report including the data  required
    54  to  calculate  the  population adjustment to the New York city office of
    55  management and budget, the division of criminal justice services and the
    56  state division of the budget no later than the first  day  of  September

        S. 7565                             4
     1  following  the  close  of the previous July first through June thirtieth
     2  period.
     3    (a-1)  State  reimbursement  shall  be  made available for one hundred
     4  percent of eligible expenditures made by  a  social  services  district,
     5  exclusive  of  any  federal  funds made available for such purposes, for
     6  approved juvenile justice services  under  an  approved  close  to  home
     7  initiative provided to youth age sixteen years of age or older when such
     8  services would not otherwise have been provided to such youth.
     9    (b)  The  department  of  family  assistance  is  authorized,  in  its
    10  discretion, to make advances to a social  services  district  in  antic-
    11  ipation of the state reimbursement provided for in this section.
    12    (c)  A  social  services  district  shall conduct eligibility determi-
    13  nations for federal and state funding and submit claims  for  reimburse-
    14  ment  in  such form and manner and at such times and for such periods as
    15  the department of family assistance shall determine.
    16    (d) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law or regulation of
    17  the department of family assistance, state reimbursement  shall  not  be
    18  made for any expenditure made for the duplication of any grant or allow-
    19  ance for any period.
    20    (e)  Claims  submitted by a social services district for reimbursement
    21  shall be paid after deducting any expenditures defrayed by  fees,  third
    22  party  reimbursement,  and  any non-tax levy funds including any donated
    23  funds.
    24    (f) The office of children and family services shall not reimburse any
    25  claims for expenditures for residential services that are submitted more
    26  than twenty-two months after the calendar quarter in which the  expendi-
    27  tures were made.
    28    (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the state shall not be
    29  responsible  for  reimbursing  a social services district and a district
    30  shall not seek state reimbursement for any portion of any  state  disal-
    31  lowance  or  sanction taken against the social services district, or any
    32  federal disallowance attributable to final federal agency  decisions  or
    33  to settlements made, when such disallowance or sanction results from the
    34  failure  of the social services district to comply with federal or state
    35  requirements, including, but not limited to, failure to document  eligi-
    36  bility  for the federal or state funds in the case record. To the extent
    37  that the social services district has sufficient claims other than those
    38  that are subject to disallowance or sanction to draw down the full annu-
    39  al appropriation, such disallowance or sanction shall not  result  in  a
    40  reduction  in payment of state funds to the district unless the district
    41  requests that the department use a portion of the  appropriation  toward
    42  meeting  the  district's  responsibility to repay the federal government
    43  for the disallowance or sanction and any related interest payments.
    44    (h) Rates for residential services. (i) The office shall establish the
    45  rates, in accordance with section three hundred ninety-eight-a  of  this
    46  [chapter]  title,  for  any  non-secure  facilities established under an
    47  approved juvenile justice services close to  home  initiative.  For  any
    48  such  non-secure  facility  that  will  be  used primarily by the social
    49  services district with an  approved  close  to  home  initiative,  final
    50  authority  for  establishment  of such rates and any adjustments thereto
    51  shall reside with the office, but such rates and any adjustments thereto
    52  shall be established only upon the request of, and in consultation with,
    53  such social services district.
    54    (ii) A social services district  with  an  approved  juvenile  justice
    55  services  close  to  home  initiative for juvenile delinquents placed in
    56  limited secure settings  shall  have  the  authority  to  establish  and

        S. 7565                             5
     1  adjust,  on  an  annual  or regular basis, maintenance rates for limited
     2  secure facilities providing residential services under such  initiative.
     3  Such  rates  shall  not  be  subject  to the provisions of section three
     4  hundred  ninety-eight-a  of this [chapter] title but shall be subject to
     5  maximum cost limits established by the office  of  children  and  family
     6  services.
     7    §  4.  Paragraph  (a)  of subdivision 1 of section 409-a of the social
     8  services law, as amended by chapter 87 of the laws of 1993, subparagraph
     9  (i) as amended by chapter 342 of the laws of 2010, and subparagraph (ii)
    10  as amended by section 22 of part C of chapter 83 of the laws of 2002, is
    11  amended to read as follows:
    12    (a) A social services official shall provide preventive services to  a
    13  child  and  his  or  her family, in accordance with the family's service
    14  plan as required by section four hundred nine-e of this [chapter]  arti-
    15  cle  and  the  social  services  district's  child welfare services plan
    16  submitted and approved pursuant to section four hundred nine-d  of  this
    17  [chapter]  article,  upon  a finding by such official that (i) the child
    18  will be placed, returned to or continued  in  foster  care  unless  such
    19  services  are  provided  and  that  it  is reasonable to believe that by
    20  providing such services the child will be able  to  remain  with  or  be
    21  returned  to his or her family, and for a former foster care youth under
    22  the age of twenty-one who was previously placed in the care and  custody
    23  or custody and guardianship of the local commissioner of social services
    24  or  other officer, board or department authorized to receive children as
    25  public charges where it is reasonable to believe that by providing  such
    26  services the former foster care youth will avoid a return to foster care
    27  or  (ii)  the  child is the subject of a petition under article seven of
    28  the family court act, [or has been determined by the assessment  service
    29  established  pursuant to section two hundred forty-three-a of the execu-
    30  tive law,] or by the probation service where no such assessment  service
    31  has  been designated, to be at risk of being the subject of such a peti-
    32  tion, and the social services official determines that the child  is  at
    33  risk of placement into foster care. Such finding shall be entered in the
    34  child's  uniform  case  record  established  and  maintained pursuant to
    35  section four hundred nine-f of this [chapter] article. The  commissioner
    36  shall  promulgate  regulations  to  assist  social services officials in
    37  making determinations of eligibility for  mandated  preventive  services
    38  pursuant to this [subparagraph] paragraph.
    39    §  5.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
    40  the amendments to subdivision 8 of section 404 of  the  social  services
    41  law  made  by  section  three of this act shall not affect the repeal of
    42  such subdivision and  shall  be  deemed  repealed  therewith;  provided,
    43  further,  that  the  amendments to subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of
    44  subdivision 1 of section 409-a  of  the  social  services  law  made  by
    45  section four of this act shall not affect the expiration of such subpar-
    46  agraph and shall be deemed to expire therewith.
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