The New York State Senate

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

                                  4910

                       2017-2018 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              March 3, 2017
                               ___________

Introduced  by Sens. DIAZ, AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and
  when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Mental  Health  and
  Developmental 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:
§ 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
OR  COMPULSIVE  GAMBLING  to age SAFELY in the community and prevent the
unnecessary use of institutional care;

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

                                                           LBD03572-01-7

S. 4910                             2

  (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.
  § 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:
  § 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;
  (4)  one  member  appointed by the commissioner of health to represent
the department of health;

S. 4910                             3

  (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.
  § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.