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

                                 2206--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 22, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens. LARKIN, ADDABBO, CARLUCCI, PANEPINTO -- read twice
  and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
  on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities -- recommitted to  the
  Committee  on  Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities in accord-
  ance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended,
  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation  to  establishing  a
  peer support program for veterans

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

  Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a  new  section
7.42 to read as follows:
S 7.42 PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR VETERANS.
  (A)  FOR  THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION THE TERM "PEER SUPPORT SERVICES"
SHALL MEAN ANY SERVICE DESIGNATED BY THE OFFICE USED  IN  THE  TREATMENT
AND  RECOVERY  OF MENTAL ILLNESS, ALCOHOL ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND/OR
CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE THAT IS DELIVERED BY A CERTIFIED PEER COUNSELOR; AND
THE TERM "CERTIFIED PEER COUNSELOR" SHALL MEAN AN  INDIVIDUAL,  WHO  HAS
APPLIED TO AND BEEN CERTIFIED BY THE OFFICE, WITH PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AS
A  MENTAL HEALTH RECIPIENT AND/OR AN INDIVIDUAL IN RECOVERY FROM ALCOHOL
ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND/OR CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE, WHO  HAS  SERVED  IN
THE  ACTIVE  MILITARY OR NAVAL SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES AND HAS BEEN
RELEASED FROM SUCH SERVICE OTHERWISE THAN BY DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE  AND
AS  DOCUMENTED BY HIS OR HER DISCHARGE PAPERS OR WHO HAS BEEN FURLOUGHED
TO THE RESERVE COMPONENTS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED  STATES  WHO
HAS TRAINING, CREDENTIALS OR EXPERIENCE RECOGNIZED BY THE OFFICE.
  (B)  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, THE
COMMISSIONER, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  ALCOHOLISM  AND
SUBSTANCE  ABUSE  SERVICES,  AND  THE  STATE DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF
VETERANS' AFFAIRS SHALL DEVELOP AND ESTABLISH A MINIMUM OF TWO  REGIONAL
PEER  SUPPORT  SERVICES  PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS. SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD03652-02-6
              

S. 2206--A                          2

PEER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, PEER
COUNSELING FOR MENTAL ILLNESS INCLUDING POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS  DISORDER,
ALCOHOL  AND  SUBSTANCE  ABUSE  COUNSELING,  INFORMATION  ON  ACCESS  TO
SERVICES,  FAMILY  SUPPORT  SERVICES,  AND WHERE APPLICABLE, SPECIALIZED
SERVICES FOR FEMALE VETERANS.
  (C) THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONJUNCTION  WITH  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE
OFFICE OF ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES AND THE STATE DIRECTOR
OF  THE  DIVISION  OF  VETERANS'  AFFAIRS  SHALL FOSTER PROGRAMS FOR THE
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONS CAPABLE OF  PROVIDING  THE  SERVICES
SET  FORTH  IN THIS SECTION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, A PROCESS OF
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR AND ISSUING CREDENTIALS  FOR  CERTIFIED  PEER
COUNSELORS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING:
  1.  THE  OFFICE  SHALL  ESTABLISH MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR CERTIFIED
PEER COUNSELORS IN ALL PHASES OF DELIVERY OF SERVICES  TO  VETERANS  WHO
ARE  SUFFERING  FROM  ANY  OR  A  COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING:   MENTAL
ILLNESS, ALCOHOL ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND/OR CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE THAT
SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, COMPLETION OF APPROVED COURSES  OF
STUDY  OR  EQUIVALENT  ON-THE-JOB EXPERIENCE IN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
AND/OR ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING; AND
  2. THE OFFICE SHALL ESTABLISH PROCEDURES  FOR  ACCEPTING  APPLICATIONS
FOR  AND ISSUING CREDENTIALS TO CERTIFIED PEER COUNSELORS WHO MEET MINI-
MUM QUALIFICATIONS, AND SHALL FURTHER ESTABLISH PROCEDURES  TO  SUSPEND,
REVOKE, OR ANNUL SUCH CREDENTIALS FOR GOOD CAUSE.
  S  2.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
have become a law; provided, however, that  effective  immediately,  the
addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.