Bill Text: NY S08608 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Establishes the frontline workers trauma informed care advisory council to connect frontline workers impacted by COVID-19 to evidenced-based trauma-informed support resources and learning opportunities.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-11-27 - approval memo.17 [S08608 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S08608-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8608

                    IN SENATE

                                      June 18, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

        AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing  the
          frontline workers trauma informed care advisory council

          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 Frontline workers trauma informed care advisory council.
     4    (a)  The  commissioner  shall  establish  the frontline workers trauma
     5  informed care advisory council within  the  office.  The  council  shall
     6  consist  of,  at a minimum, the commissioner or his or her designee; the
     7  commissioner of the department of health or his  or  her  designee;  the
     8  commissioner  of  aging  or his or her designee; the commissioner of the
     9  office for people with developmental disabilities or his or  her  desig-
    10  nee;  the commissioner of the office for addiction services and supports
    11  or  his  or  her  designee;  the  commissioner  of  the  department   of
    12  corrections and community supervision; and twenty-one additional members
    13  of  which  seven  shall  be  appointed  by  the  governor,  six shall be
    14  appointed by the speaker of the assembly, six  shall  appointed  by  the
    15  temporary  president  of  the senate, and one each shall be appointed by
    16  the minority leader of the  assembly  and  the  senate.  Each  appointed
    17  member  shall  be  a representative of one of the following:  (1) behav-
    18  ioral health advocacy organizations; (2) health care provider  organiza-
    19  tions;  (3)  employee  organizations  representing  nurses, doctors, and
    20  other frontline workers;  (4)  human  services  organizations;  (5)  law
    21  enforcement  agencies;  (6)  individuals who have expertise in fields of
    22  discipline related to trauma informed care; and any other group, associ-
    23  ation, organization, or individual deemed appropriate by the commission-
    24  er. For purposes of this section, frontline workers shall  include,  but
    25  shall  not  be  limited to, healthcare workers, first responders, direct
    26  care  workers,  public  safety  workers,  transportation  workers,  food
    27  service  workers  and  others who have been exposed to trauma associated

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD16681-01-0
        S. 8608                             2

     1  with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic  while  in  the  line  of
     2  duty.
     3    (b)  Council  members shall receive no compensation for their services
     4  as members of the council, but shall be reimbursed for actual and neces-
     5  sary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.  The  members
     6  of  the  council  shall  choose one member of the council to be a chair-
     7  person and one member to be co-chairperson.
     8    (c) The council shall be established within thirty days of the  effec-
     9  tive date of this section.
    10    (d) The council shall:
    11    (1)  Identify  evidence-based  tools  to  track the impact of COVID-19
    12  associated collective trauma and the needs of frontline workers;
    13    (2) Identify or develop training opportunities for organizations  that
    14  employ  frontline  workers on how to support the mental health and well-
    15  ness of their impacted employees;
    16    (3) Identify evidenced-based  trauma-informed  support  resources  and
    17  learning opportunities for frontline workers;
    18    (4)  Identify  or  develop  a  mechanism  to inform and refer impacted
    19  frontline workers experiencing  symptoms  associated  with  COVID-19  to
    20  behavioral health services and supports;
    21    (5)  Consult  with  any  organization,  government  entity, agency, or
    22  person that the council determines may be able  to  provide  information
    23  and  expertise  on the development and implementation of trauma informed
    24  care for frontline workers; and
    25    (6) Submit a report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly,  and
    26  the  temporary  president  of the senate by December first, two thousand
    27  twenty on the duties described in this  section,  including  recommenda-
    28  tions to effectively implement any initiative identified or developed by
    29  the workgroup and included in its report.
    30    (e)  To  the  extent federal funds are available, grants shall be made
    31  available to entities that employ frontline workers or  other  organiza-
    32  tions  with  relevant  experience,  for  the  sole  purpose of providing
    33  support and implementing strategies or  initiatives  identified  by  the
    34  frontline workers trauma informed care workgroup for their workforce.
    35    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.