Bill Text: NY A01250 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Directs the commissioner of mental health to create a workgroup and report regarding frontline worker trauma informed care.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-02-16 - signed chap.33 [A01250 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A01250-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          1250

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     January 7, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. GUNTHER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Mental Health

        AN ACT to direct the commissioner of mental health to create a workgroup
          and report regarding frontline worker trauma informed care; to  repeal
          section 7.48 of the mental hygiene law relating thereto; and providing
          for the repeal of certain provisions upon expiration thereof

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 7.48 of the mental hygiene law, as added by a chap-
     2  ter of the laws of 2020, amending the mental  hygiene  law  relating  to
     3  establishing  the  frontline workers trauma informed care advisory coun-
     4  cil, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.8608-A and A.10629-A, is
     5  REPEALED.
     6    § 2. The commissioner of mental health shall convene a  workgroup  and
     7  report  on frontline workers trauma informed care, which may include but
     8  not be limited to representatives  of  the  state  conference  of  local
     9  mental  hygiene  service directors under article forty-one of the mental
    10  hygiene law;  behavioral  health  advocacy  organizations;  health  care
    11  provider  organizations;  employee  organizations  representing  nurses,
    12  doctors, and other frontline workers; human service providers as defined
    13  under section four hundred sixty-four-b of the social services law;  law
    14  enforcement agencies; and individuals with expertise in fields of disci-
    15  pline related to trauma informed care. The workgroup shall meet regular-
    16  ly  and  as  often  as  is  necessary  to carry out the responsibilities
    17  required by this section and a link to information regarding  the  work-
    18  group  and  their  activities  shall  be made available on the office of
    19  mental health's website.  Such report shall (1) identify  evidence-based
    20  tools  to  track the impact of COVID-19 associated collective trauma and
    21  the needs of frontline workers; (2) identify or develop training  oppor-
    22  tunities  for  organizations  that  employ  frontline  workers on how to
    23  support the mental health and wellness of their impacted employees;  (3)

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07140-01-1
        A. 1250                             2

     1  identify  evidenced-based trauma-informed support resources and learning
     2  opportunities for frontline workers; (4) identify or develop a mechanism
     3  to inform and refer impacted  frontline  workers  experiencing  symptoms
     4  associated with COVID-19 to behavioral health services and supports; (5)
     5  consult with any organization, government entity, agency, or person that
     6  the  workgroup  determines may be able to provide information and exper-
     7  tise on the development and implementation of trauma informed  care  for
     8  frontline  workers;  and  (6)  provide recommendations for how available
     9  funding may be utilized to support the frontline workforce. Such commis-
    10  sioner shall issue an interim report, on or  before  March  1,  2021  in
    11  relation  to the immediate trauma informed care needs of frontline work-
    12  ers; and a final report, on or before  December  1,  2021,  which  shall
    13  include  findings  and  recommendations  identified  or developed by the
    14  workgroup on the long term trauma informed care needs of frontline work-
    15  ers. Such reports shall be submitted  to  the  governor,  the  temporary
    16  president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly.
    17    §  3.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
    18  manner as a chapter of the laws of 2020 amending the mental hygiene  law
    19  relating  to  establishing  the  frontline  workers trauma informed care
    20  advisory council, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.8608-A  and
    21  A.10629-A,  takes effect and section two of this act shall expire and be
    22  deemed repealed December 1, 2021.