§ 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, substance use disorder services, compulsive
gambling services, or any combination thereof, to the elderly, including
organizations that provide health and aging services as well as mental
health, substance use disorder, and compulsive gambling organizations.
The office is also authorized, under the demonstration program, to
foster and support collaboration between providers of home care services
licensed or certified under article thirty-six of the public health law
and mental health providers for the integration of health and mental
health care, and for all other enumerated goals of this section. 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
determine 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, substance use disorder, compulsive
gambling, 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 substance use
disorder or compulsive gambling to age safely in the community and
prevent the unnecessary use of institutional care;

(2) Improved quality of treatment. Programs for older adults which
improve the quality of mental health care, substance use disorder or
compulsive gambling services in the community or in residential
facilities;

(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, substance use disorder, compulsive gambling, health and aging
services professionals by developing alternative service roles for
paraprofessionals and volunteers, including peers, and programs more
effective in recruitment and retention of bi-lingual, bi-cultural or
culturally competent staff;

(5) Family support. Programs which provide support for family
caregivers, 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 substance use disorder or
compulsive gambling; and

(9) Staff training. Programs which offer on-going training initiatives
including improved clinical and cultural skills, evidence based
geriatric mental health, substance use disorder and compulsive gambling
treatment 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.