Establishes the direct support professional credential pilot program to assist and attract individuals into the field of direct support, advance direct support as a career and professionalize the field to promote workforce recruitment and retention efforts, while creating a career ladder; requires the office for people with developmental disabilities to administer such pilot program for three years; makes related provisions.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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219--A
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 7, 2015
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Introduced by M. of A. ABINANTI, LINARES -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Mental Health -- reported and referred to the Commit-
tee on Ways and Means -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing the
direct support professional credential pilot program
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 13.42 to read as follows:
3 § 13.42 Direct support professional credential pilot program.
4 (a) The office shall initiate a program to continue to gain the exper-
5 tise and knowledge of the developmental disabilities workforce and of
6 the developmental disabilities workforce recruitment and retention needs
7 throughout the field. The office shall implement a direct support
8 professional credential pilot program to assist and attract individuals
9 into the field of direct support, advance direct support as a career and
10 professionalize the field to promote workforce recruitment and retention
11 efforts, advance skills and competencies, and further ensure the health,
12 safety and well being of individuals being served.
13 (b) There hereby is created the direct support professional credential
14 pilot program within the office to assist individuals in the field
15 obtain a credential in their field of expertise.
16 (1) Such pilot program shall be administered by the office for three
17 years. The pilot program shall include state-operated facilities and
18 not-for-profit providers, licensed and certified by the office. The
19 purpose of the pilot program shall be to assess how the establishment of
20 a state accredited direct support professional credential: (A) promotes
21 recruitment and retention efforts in the developmental disabilities
22 field, notably the direct support professional position; (B) enhances
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03397-02-5
A. 219--A 2
1 competence in the developmental disabilities field; (C) yields quality
2 supports and services to individuals with developmental disabilities;
3 and (D) advances the health and safety requirements set forth by the
4 state.
5 (2) The office in administering the pilot program shall consider, but
6 not be limited to, the following:
7 (A) best practices learning initiatives, including the University of
8 Minnesota's college of direct support and New York state direct support
9 professional competencies;
10 (B) national direct support professional competencies or credentialing
11 based standards and trainings;
12 (C) facilitating direct support professionals portfolio development;
13 (D) the role and value of skill mentors; and
14 (E) creating a career ladder.
15 (3) Direct support professional credential means a document issued to
16 an individual by a recognized accrediting body attesting that such indi-
17 vidual has met the professional requirements of the credentialing
18 program by the office.
19 (4) The office shall produce a report detailing the progress of the
20 pilot program, including, but not limited to:
21 (A) the rate of recruitment and retention for direct support profes-
22 sionals of providers participating in the pilot program compared to the
23 rate for non-participating providers;
24 (B) the number of direct support professionals credentialed; and
25 (C) the enhancement of quality supports and services to individuals
26 with developmental disabilities.
27 § 2. This act shall take effect April 1, 2016.
