Establishes four mental health coordinators to provide mental health support and education for members of law enforcement; establishes that coordinators shall provide training, assistance, reporting and set standards for continuing mental health education.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9291
IN ASSEMBLY
February 23, 2022
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BURKE -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to law enforcement mental
health coordinators
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 214-h
2 to read as follows:
3 § 214-h. Mental health coordinators. 1. There is hereby established
4 within the division a mental health coordinator program to provide
5 mental health support and education for law enforcement in New York.
6 2. Four mental health coordinators shall be appointed by the governor,
7 by and with the advice and consent of the senate. Each shall serve for a
8 term of six years. Mental health coordinators shall receive a salary
9 within amounts appropriated therefor and shall be eligible for re-ap-
10 pointment.
11 3. (a) Each mental health coordinator shall have a specific region
12 they are responsible for. The four groupings, comprised of individual
13 state troop regions are: (i) A, E and C; (ii) B, D and G; (iii) F, K and
14 L; and (iv) NYC. Troopers should belong to one of the state troop
15 regions they serve as coordinator.
16 (b) Each mental health coordinator shall:
17 (i) be an active duty state trooper with an established career in
18 different aspects of law enforcement, including, but not limited to,
19 patrol officer and detective, and have served in both urban and rural
20 settings;
21 (ii) be a law enforcement professional with a history of developing
22 and disseminating evidence-based training in mental health and resili-
23 ence; and
24 (iii) have an established history of working with police adminis-
25 trations and police unions.
26 4. Mental health coordinators shall:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14119-02-2
A. 9291 2
1 (a) cooperate with police training academies to introduce police
2 recruits to mental health issues they could face throughout their career
3 in law enforcement;
4 (b) assist in establishing mental health training for law enforcement,
5 including resilience training, trauma-based training, inter- and intra-
6 departmental training, and training for law enforcement families;
7 (c) contribute to updating the office of mental health's environmental
8 analysis of mental health and wellness resources for first responders;
9 (d) cooperate with police agencies to establish peer support programs;
10 (e) cooperate with private limited liability companies who train in
11 mental health and wellness to ensure that their programs are scientif-
12 ically sound and factual;
13 (f) utilize the state university system to establish training and
14 produce research documentation of training effectiveness; and
15 (g) set standards for continuing education in mental health with an
16 emphasis on meeting the developmental training needs for officers at
17 various stages of their career.
18 5. Mental health coordinators shall report to the office of mental
19 health on the development and implementation of programs and training
20 for law enforcement officers and shall advise the office of mental
21 health and receive advice from the office of mental health on direction
22 and training needs for law enforcement agencies that vary in size,
23 location, and demographics.
24 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.