S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6237
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 11, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
   ty and Military Affairs
 
 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:
 § 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  WITH
 PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AS A MENTAL HEALTH RECIPIENT AND/OR AN INDIVIDUAL IN
 RECOVERY  FROM  ALCOHOL  ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND/OR CHEMICAL DEPEND-
 ENCE, 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 RECOG-
 NIZED 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.  ONE REGIONAL PEER  SUPPORT
 SERVICES  PROGRAM  SHALL  BE LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND ONE
 REGIONAL PEER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM SHALL BE LOCATED IN  UPSTATE  NEW
 YORK  OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK OR LONG ISLAND.  SERVICES PROVIDED
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD03984-04-7

 S. 6237                             2
 
 BY THE 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
 ISSUING, EITHER DIRECTLY OR THROUGH CONTRACT, 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  ISSUING,  DIRECTLY  OR
 THROUGH  CONTRACT,  CREDENTIALS  TO  CERTIFIED  PEER COUNSELORS WHO MEET
 MINIMUM  QUALIFICATIONS,  AND  SHALL  FURTHER  ESTABLISH  PROCEDURES  TO
 SUSPEND, REVOKE, OR ANNUL SUCH CREDENTIALS FOR GOOD CAUSE.
   §  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.