Relates to the establishment of mental health clubhouses pursuant to a statewide implementation plan developed by the department of health and office of mental health.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4878--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 7, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. TAPIA -- 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 public health law, in relation to the establishment
of mental health clubhouses
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new article
2 29-L to read as follows:
3 ARTICLE 29-L
4 MENTAL HEALTH CLUBHOUSES
5 Section 2999-nn. Definitions.
6 2999-oo. Mental health clubhouses; establishment.
7 2999-pp. Operational standards and core services.
8 2999-qq. Oversight, compliance, and reporting.
9 § 2999-nn. Definitions. For the purposes of this article, the term
10 "mental health clubhouse" or "clubhouse" means a facility that:
11 1. is accredited or is in the process of becoming accredited, by a
12 recognized body or bodies approved by the office of mental health;
13 2. addresses psychosocial deficits and social drivers of health;
14 3. uses a therapeutic approach that emphasizes purposeful work,
15 engagement, relationship development, and mutual support for people with
16 serious mental illness;
17 4. uses blended leadership of professional mental health staff and
18 individuals with lived experience to create and manage the therapeutic
19 community and its services in a nonclinical setting;
20 5. offers members a community-based rehabilitative environment that
21 both addresses often unmet psychosocial needs of people living with
22 serious mental illness and provides structures that offer support in
23 natural, community environments;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08603-02-5
A. 4878--A 2
1 6. offers support services for employment, education, health care,
2 housing, and more to broadly address health-related social care needs;
3 7. is an essential part of the continuum of care and works in tandem
4 with other medical and behavioral health services;
5 8. relies on the restorative power of work and work-mediated relation-
6 ships to build a firm foundation for growth and individual achievement
7 for members;
8 9. emphasizes strengths-based teamwork and opportunities to contribute
9 to operations through a work-ordered day; and
10 10. offers naturalistic social and community-based recreational oppor-
11 tunities to contribute to a member's path and success in recovery.
12 § 2999-oo. Mental health clubhouses; establishment. 1. Clubhouses
13 shall be established within reasonable proximity to public transporta-
14 tion. In rural areas, virtual clubhouse programming shall be imple-
15 mented to ensure accessibility.
16 2. The department and the office of mental health shall develop a
17 statewide implementation plan through technical advising and consulta-
18 tion with established clubhouses for the provisions of this article
19 within one year of the effective date of this article.
20 § 2999-pp. Operational standards and core services. 1. Membership of
21 clubhouses shall be voluntary, free of cost, and open to any individual
22 with a history of serious mental illness.
23 2. Clubhouses shall receive accreditation or be in the process of
24 becoming accredited within the first three years of operation by a
25 recognized body.
26 § 2999-qq. Oversight, compliance, and reporting. 1. Each clubhouse
27 shall submit a comprehensive report to the department and the office of
28 mental health detailing:
29 (a) clubhouse active membership statistics and daily service utiliza-
30 tion;
31 (b) employment placements and workforce development outcomes;
32 (c) housing placements and homelessness prevention efforts; and
33 (d) crisis intervention cases and emergency responses.
34 2. The department shall conduct biennial audits of all clubhouses to
35 ensure compliance with state regulations.
36 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
