Assembly Bill A5545A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Provides for qualified mental health associates

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2025-A5545 - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Codes
Law Section:
Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§7.07 & 7.03, Ment Hyg L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A8464

2025-A5545 - Summary

Directs the office of mental health to establish programs for the training and development of persons capable of providing coaching and support to individuals under treatment plans developed by licensed mental health practitioners, including but not limited to a process of issuing, either directly or through contract, credentials for qualified mental health associates.

2025-A5545 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5545
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. SIMON, SANTABARBARA, DE LOS SANTOS -- read once
   and referred to the Committee on Mental Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to qualified  mental
   health associates
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Section 7.07 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding
 a new subdivision (i) to read as follows:
   (I) THE OFFICE EITHER DIRECTLY  OR  THROUGH  CONTRACT,  SHALL  DEVELOP
 TRAINING,  APPROVED  EDUCATIONAL  COURSES,  AND  A  PROCESS  FOR ISSUING
 CREDENTIALS TO PERSONS MEETING THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR  A  QUALI-
 FIED MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATE.
   (1)  A  CREDENTIALED  QUALIFIED  MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATE MUST MEET THE
 FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
   (I) A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA;
   (II)(A) AN ASSOCIATE OR BACHELOR'S DEGREE  IN  A  BEHAVIORAL  SCIENCES
 FIELD; OR
   (B)  A  COMBINATION  OF AT LEAST THREE YEARS RELEVANT WORK, EDUCATION,
 TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE; AND
   (III) DEMONSTRATE THE COMPETENCY NECESSARY TO:
   (A) PROMOTE RECOVERY AND COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY TO SERVICE RECIPIENTS
 AND PROFESSIONALS;
   (B) UNDERSTAND MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT, TREATMENT AND SERVICE  TERMI-
 NOLOGY;
   (C) PROVIDE PSYCHOSOCIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT;
   (D)  IMPLEMENT  INTERVENTIONS INCLUDED IN AN INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT PLAN
 OF CARE;
   (E) PROVIDE BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT AND CASE MANAGEMENT DUTIES; AND
   (F) PROVIDE SUPPORT SERVICES RELATED TO CRISIS STABILIZATION,  MEDICA-
 TION MANAGEMENT AND HEALTH MONITORING.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08419-01-5
 A. 5545                             2

co-Sponsors

2025-A5545A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Codes
Law Section:
Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§7.07 & 7.03, Ment Hyg L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A8464

2025-A5545A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the office of mental health to establish programs for the training and development of persons capable of providing coaching and support to individuals under treatment plans developed by licensed mental health practitioners, including but not limited to a process of issuing, either directly or through contract, credentials for qualified mental health associates.

2025-A5545A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  5545--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. SIMON, SANTABARBARA, DE LOS SANTOS -- read once
   and  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Mental  Health   --   committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 AN  ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to qualified mental
   health associates

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 7.07 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding
 a new subdivision (i) to read as follows:
   (I)  THE  OFFICE  EITHER  DIRECTLY  OR THROUGH CONTRACT, SHALL DEVELOP
 TRAINING, APPROVED EDUCATIONAL COURSES, AND A PROCESS  FOR  ISSUING  THE
 TITLE  FOR  A  QUALIFIED MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATE ONCE IT HAS BEEN DETER-
 MINED THAT AN INDIVIDUAL HAS MET THE  MINIMUM  QUALIFICATIONS  FOR  SUCH
 TITLE.
   (1)  A QUALIFIED MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATE MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING MINI-
 MUM QUALIFICATIONS:
   (I) A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA;
   (II)(A) AN ASSOCIATE OR BACHELOR'S DEGREE  IN  A  BEHAVIORAL  SCIENCES
 FIELD; OR
   (B)  A  COMBINATION  OF AT LEAST THREE YEARS RELEVANT WORK, EDUCATION,
 TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE; AND
   (III) (A) DEMONSTRATE THE COMPETENCY NECESSARY  TO  WORK  IN  FACILITY
 SETTINGS  OR  OTHER  SUPERVISED SETTINGS APPROVED  BY  THE OFFICE  UNDER
 SUPERVISION  IN   ACCORDANCE   WITH REGULATIONS ESTABLISHED  UNDER  THIS
 SUBDIVISION;
   (B) PROMOTE RECOVERY AND COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY TO SERVICE RECIPIENTS
 AND  PROFESSIONALS TO EFFECTIVELY CREATE, DEVELOP OR IMPLEMENT A SERVICE
 PLAN OR RECOVERY PLAN THAT IS  NOT  A  BEHAVIORAL  HEALTH  DIAGNOSIS  OR
 TREATMENT PLAN; AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08419-04-5
 A. 5545--A                          2

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