Senate Bill S256

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                   256

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  DIAZ  --  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 and chapter 568 of  the  laws  of
  2005,  amending the mental hygiene law relating to enacting the geria-
  tric mental health act, in relation to mental  health  care,  chemical
  dependence  and compulsive gambling services for the elderly under the
  geriatric service demonstration program

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Section 7.41 of the mental hygiene law, as added by chapter
568 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
S 7.41 Geriatric service demonstration program.
  (a)  The  office  shall  establish  a  geriatric service demonstration
program to provide grants, within appropriations therefor, to  providers
of mental health care, CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE SERVICES, COMPULSIVE GAMBLING
SERVICES,  OR  ANY COMBINATION THEREOF, to the elderly, INCLUDING ORGAN-
IZATIONS THAT PROVIDE HEALTH  AND  AGING  SERVICES  AS  WELL  AS  MENTAL
HEALTH, CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE, AND COMPULSIVE GAMBLING ORGANIZATIONS. Such
program  shall  be  administered  by  the office in cooperation with THE
OFFICE OF ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES, the state office  for
the aging and such other state agencies as the commissioner shall deter-
mine are necessary for the operation of the program.
  (b)  Grants may be awarded by the office to providers of care to older
adults with mental disabilities, CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE, COMPULSIVE  GAMBL-
ING,  OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF, for the purposes which may include one
or more of the following:
  (1) Community integration. Programs which  enable  older  adults  with
mental  disabilities  OR OLDER ADULTS SUFFERING FROM CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00345-01-5
              

S. 256                              2

OR COMPULSIVE GAMBLING to age SAFELY in the community  and  prevent  the
unnecessary use of institutional care;
  (2)  Improved  quality  of  treatment. Programs for older adults which
improve the quality  of  mental  health  care,  CHEMICAL  DEPENDENCE  OR
COMPULSIVE  GAMBLING SERVICES in the community OR IN RESIDENTIAL FACILI-
TIES;
  (3) Integration of services. Programs which  integrate  mental  health
and  aging  services  with  alcohol,  drug,  health  and  other  support
services;
  (4) Workforce. Programs which make more efficient use of mental health
[and],  CHEMICAL  DEPENDENCE,  COMPULSIVE  GAMBLING,  health  AND  AGING
SERVICES professionals by developing alternative service roles for para-
professionals  and volunteers, including peers, and programs more effec-
tive  in  recruitment  and  retention  of  bi-lingual,  bi-cultural   or
culturally competent staff;
  (5) Family support. Programs which provide support for family caregiv-
ers,  to include the provision of care to older adults by younger family
members and by older adults to younger family members;
  (6) Finance. Programs which have developed and implemented  innovative
financing methodologies to support the delivery of best practices;
  (7)  Specialized  populations.  Programs which concentrate on outreach
to, engagement of and effective  treatment  of  cultural  minorities  OR
VETERANS AS DEFINED IN SECTION EIGHTY-FIVE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW;
  (8)  Information clearinghouse. Programs which compile, distribute and
make available information on clinical developments, program innovations
and policy developments which improve the  care  to  older  adults  with
mental  disabilities OR SUFFERING FROM CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE OR COMPULSIVE
GAMBLING; and
  (9) Staff training. Programs which offer on-going training initiatives
including improved clinical and cultural skills, evidence  based  geria-
tric  mental  health, CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE AND COMPULSIVE GAMBLING TREAT-
MENT skills, and the identification and management of mental, behavioral
and substance abuse disorders among older adults.
  (c) The commissioner may adopt  rules  and  regulations  necessary  to
implement the provisions of this section.
  S 2. Section 3 of chapter 568 of the laws of 2005, amending the mental
hygiene  law  relating  to  enacting the geriatric mental health act, as
amended by chapter 203 of the laws  of  2008,  is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  S 3. Interagency geriatric mental health and chemical dependence plan-
ning  council.  (a)  There shall be established an interagency geriatric
mental health and chemical dependence planning council.    Such  council
shall consist of nineteen members, as follows:
  (1)  the commissioner of mental health, the commissioner of alcoholism
and substance abuse services, the director of the division of  veterans'
affairs  and  the  director of the state office for the aging, who shall
serve as the co-chairs of the council. The adjutant general shall  serve
as an ex-officio member of the council;
  (2)  one  member  appointed by the commissioner of [mental retardation
and] THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH developmental disabilities to  represent
the  office  [of  mental  retardation and] FOR PEOPLE WITH developmental
disabilities;
  (3) one member appointed by the chairman of the  state  commission  on
quality  of care and advocacy for persons with disabilities to represent
such commission;

S. 256                              3

  (4) one member appointed by the commissioner of  health  to  represent
the department of health;
  (5) one member appointed by the commissioner of education to represent
the education department and the board of regents;
  (6)  one  member  appointed by the commissioner of children and family
services to represent the office of  children  and  family  services  on
issues relating to adult protective services;
  (7) one member appointed by the commissioner of temporary and disabil-
ity  assistance  to  represent  the  office  of temporary and disability
assistance;
  (8) four members appointed by the governor; and
  (9) two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate and
two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly  to  represent  any
other  organizations  which  serve  or  advocate  on  behalf  of elderly
persons.
  (b) The members of the council shall serve at the  pleasure  of  their
appointing authority.
  (c)  The  council  shall meet as often as necessary, but not less than
four times per calendar year, to develop annual recommendations,  to  be
submitted  to  the  commissioner  of  mental health, the commissioner of
alcoholism and substance abuse services, the director of the division of
veterans' affairs, the adjutant general and the director  of  the  state
office  for  the  aging,  regarding geriatric mental health and chemical
dependence needs. Such recommendations may address issues which include:
community  integration,  quality  improvement,  integration  of   mental
health, CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE, COMPULSIVE GAMBLING, HEALTH, AGING AND SUCH
RELEVANT  services [with services to address alcoholism, drug abuse, and
health care needs,] AS APPROPRIATE; AND  workforce  development,  family
support and finance.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.