S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7395
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 19, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. DARLING -- (at request of the Office of Mental
   Health) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to  providing  defi-
   nitions  of  mental  health and family and youth peer and requires the
   office of  mental  health  to  establish  peer  service  qualification
   programs
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 7.03 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding
 six new subdivisions 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 to read as follows:
   3. "MENTAL HEALTH PEER" OR "MHP" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WITH LIVED-EXPER-
 IENCE WHO IS ACTIVELY IN RECOVERY FROM A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION AND HAS
 SELF-DISCLOSED THEIR MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEY.
   4. "FAMILY PEER ADVOCATE" OR "FPA" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WITH  LIVED-EX-
 PERIENCE  AS THE BIOLOGICAL, FOSTER, OR ADOPTIVE PARENT OR PRIMARY CARE-
 GIVER OF A CHILD OR YOUTH WITH A SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL,  BEHAVIORAL,  MENTAL
 HEALTH, OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY.
   5. "YOUTH PEER ADVOCATE" OR "YPA" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO SELF-IDENTI-
 FIES  AS  A  PERSON WITH FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND/OR
 CO-OCCURRING BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES AS A YOUNG  PERSON  OR  HAS  RECEIVED
 SERVICES IN ANY ONE OF THE CHILD-SERVING SYSTEMS OR PROGRAMS PURSUANT TO
 THIS CHAPTER.
   6.  "NEW  YORK  STATE  CERTIFIED  PEER  SPECIALIST" OR "NYCPS" MEANS A
 MENTAL HEALTH PEER WHO HAS SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND HOLDS  A  CREDENTIAL
 FROM A CERTIFYING AUTHORITY RECOGNIZED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   7.  "CREDENTIALED  FAMILY PEER ADVOCATE" OR "CFPA" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL
 VERIFIED TO HAVE MET THE CRITERIA FOR A FAMILY PEER ADVOCATE AS  DEFINED
 IN  SUBDIVISION  FOUR  OF THIS SECTION AND WHO HOLDS A CREDENTIAL FROM A
 CERTIFYING AUTHORITY RECOGNIZED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   8. "CREDENTIALED YOUTH PEER ADVOCATE" OR "CYPA"  MEANS  AN  INDIVIDUAL
 VERIFIED  TO  HAVE MET THE CRITERIA FOR A YOUTH PEER ADVOCATE AS DEFINED
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07364-01-3
              

 A. 7395                             2
 
 IN SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS SECTION AND WHO HOLDS A  CREDENTIAL  FROM  A
 CERTIFYING AUTHORITY RECOGNIZED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   §  2.  Subdivision  (d)  of section 7.07 of the mental hygiene law, as
 added by chapter 978 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
   (d) The office of mental health shall foster programs for the training
 and development of persons capable of providing the foregoing  services,
 AND  FOR THE QUALIFICATION OF PERSONS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING PEER SERVICES
 AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISIONS THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, AND  EIGHT  OF
 SECTION 7.03 OF THIS ARTICLE AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH CRITERIA ESTABLISHED
 BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.