Bill Text: NY S07819 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a peer support program for veterans.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-06-12 - REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES [S07819 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-S07819-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         7819
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                     June 12, 2014
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  LARKIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health and Develop-
         mental Disabilities
       AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation  to  establishing  a
         peer support program for veterans
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a  new  section
    2  7.42 to read as follows:
    3  S 7.42 PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR VETERANS.
    4    (A)  FOR  THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION THE TERM "PEER SUPPORT SERVICES"
    5  SHALL MEAN ANY SERVICE DESIGNATED BY THE OFFICE USED  IN  THE  TREATMENT
    6  AND  RECOVERY  OF MENTAL ILLNESS, ALCOHOL ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND/OR
    7  CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE THAT IS DELIVERED BY A CERTIFIED PEER COUNSELOR; AND
    8  THE TERM "CERTIFIED  PEER  COUNSELOR"  SHALL  MEAN  AN  INDIVIDUAL  WITH
    9  PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AS A MENTAL HEALTH RECIPIENT AND/OR AN INDIVIDUAL IN
   10  RECOVERY  FROM  ALCOHOL  ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND/OR CHEMICAL DEPEND-
   11  ENCE, WHO HAS SERVED IN THE ACTIVE MILITARY  OR  NAVAL  SERVICE  OF  THE
   12  UNITED  STATES AND HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM SUCH SERVICE OTHERWISE THAN BY
   13  DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE AND AS DOCUMENTED BY HIS OR HER DISCHARGE  PAPERS
   14  OR WHO HAS BEEN FURLOUGHED TO THE RESERVE COMPONENTS OF THE ARMED FORCES
   15  OF  THE UNITED STATES WHO HAS TRAINING, CREDENTIALS OR EXPERIENCE RECOG-
   16  NIZED BY THE OFFICE.
   17    (B) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO  THE  CONTRARY,  THE
   18  COMMISSIONER,  IN  CONJUNCTION  WITH  THE COMMISSIONER OF ALCOHOLISM AND
   19  SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES, AND THE STATE  DIRECTOR  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF
   20  VETERANS'  AFFAIRS SHALL DEVELOP AND ESTABLISH A MINIMUM OF TWO REGIONAL
   21  PEER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS. SERVICES  PROVIDED  BY  THE
   22  PEER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, PEER
   23  COUNSELING  FOR MENTAL ILLNESS INCLUDING POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER,
   24  ALCOHOL  AND  SUBSTANCE  ABUSE  COUNSELING,  INFORMATION  ON  ACCESS  TO
   25  SERVICES,  FAMILY  SUPPORT  SERVICES,  AND WHERE APPLICABLE, SPECIALIZED
   26  SERVICES FOR FEMALE VETERANS.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD09513-01-3
       S. 7819                             2
    1    (C) THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONJUNCTION  WITH  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE
    2  OFFICE OF ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES AND THE STATE DIRECTOR
    3  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF  VETERANS'  AFFAIRS  SHALL FOSTER PROGRAMS FOR THE
    4  TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONS CAPABLE OF  PROVIDING  THE  SERVICES
    5  SET  FORTH  IN THIS SECTION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, A PROCESS OF
    6  ISSUING, EITHER DIRECTLY OR THROUGH CONTRACT, CREDENTIALS FOR  CERTIFIED
    7  PEER COUNSELORS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING:
    8    1.  THE  OFFICE  SHALL  ESTABLISH MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR CERTIFIED
    9  PEER COUNSELORS IN ALL PHASES OF DELIVERY OF SERVICES  TO  VETERANS  WHO
   10  ARE  SUFFERING  FROM  ANY  OR  A  COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING:   MENTAL
   11  ILLNESS, ALCOHOL ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND/OR CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE THAT
   12  SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, COMPLETION OF APPROVED COURSES  OF
   13  STUDY  OR  EQUIVALENT  ON-THE-JOB EXPERIENCE IN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
   14  AND/OR ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING; AND
   15    2. THE OFFICE SHALL ESTABLISH  PROCEDURES  FOR  ISSUING,  DIRECTLY  OR
   16  THROUGH  CONTRACT,  CREDENTIALS  TO  CERTIFIED  PEER COUNSELORS WHO MEET
   17  MINIMUM  QUALIFICATIONS,  AND  SHALL  FURTHER  ESTABLISH  PROCEDURES  TO
   18  SUSPEND, REVOKE, OR ANNUL SUCH CREDENTIALS FOR GOOD CAUSE.
   19    S  2.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
   20  have become a law; provided, however, that  effective  immediately,  the
   21  addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
   22  for the implementation of this act on its effective date  is  authorized
   23  and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.