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A04579 Summary:

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A04579 Floor Votes:

A04579 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         4579--A
 
                               2009-2010 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    February 5, 2009
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced by M. of A. P. RIVERA, ALFANO, LUPARDO, WEISENBERG, SCHROEDER
          --  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. JACOBS -- read once and referred to
          the Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation  and  Developmental
          Disabilities  --  committed  to  Mental Health, Mental Retardation and
          Developmental Disabilities  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,

          ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
        AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the establishment
          of  community  housing  waiting  lists for adults within the office of
          mental health service system
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Section 7.15 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding
     2  three new subdivisions (d), (e) and (f) to read as follows:
     3    (d)  The commissioner shall establish a community housing waiting list
     4  for adults seeking housing services  in  the  office  of  mental  health
     5  service  system.  For  the purposes of this section, the term "community
     6  housing waiting list" shall mean  an  unduplicated  list  or  roster  of

     7  adults  with a documented mental illness who meet the eligibility crite-
     8  ria for the array of office of  mental  health  funded  and/or  licensed
     9  housing  programs  who  have been referred to or applied for but not yet
    10  received  supported,  supportive,  supervised  or   congregate   housing
    11  services in the office of mental health service system.
    12    For  the  purposes  of  this  section,  the  term "provider of housing
    13  services" shall include every holder of an operating certificate  issued
    14  pursuant to article thirty-one of this chapter, or every housing program
    15  funded,  operated  or  administered  by  the  office including any local
    16  government unit mental health housing referral system  and  each  single

    17  point  of entry office, operated by or under contract with a director of
    18  community services pursuant to article forty-one of this chapter.
    19    For the purposes of this section, the  term  "agency  or  institution"
    20  shall  include  adult homes, nursing homes, foster care providers, home-
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00733-03-0
        A. 4579--A                          2
 
     1  less shelters, state psychiatric centers, hospitals, correctional facil-
     2  ities and other referring entities.
     3    Each  month,  each  provider  of housing services shall provide to the

     4  office the name of each person who  is  referred  to,  applies  for,  is
     5  admitted  to, withdraws an application for or is denied admission to the
     6  provider's housing program, along with such  other  information  as  the
     7  commissioner may require.
     8    Each  month,  each  agency or institution making referrals for housing
     9  services in the office of mental health service system  may  provide  to
    10  the  office  the  names of persons whom it has referred to a provider of
    11  housing services, along with such other information as the  commissioner
    12  may require.
    13    Each  month,  each  county's community-based agency performing assess-
    14  ments of people with disabilities using the uniform assessment tool,  as

    15  required  by  paragraph  (b) of subdivision one of section seven hundred
    16  three of the executive law, shall provide to the office the name of each
    17  person with a documented mental illness who is assessed  and  meets  the
    18  eligibility  criteria  for  the  array of office of mental health funded
    19  and/or licensed housing programs, and the names of those persons it  has
    20  referred  to  providers  of  housing  and services along with such other
    21  information as the commissioner may require.
    22    (e) The commissioner shall establish policies,  procedures  and  forms
    23  for  the  community  housing waiting list in order to ensure that appli-
    24  cants and prospective applicants  for  housing  programs,  providers  of

    25  housing  services,  and  referring  agencies and institutions may submit
    26  waiting list  information  and  copies  of  applications  and  referrals
    27  directly  to  the office via electronic means. Such policies, procedures
    28  and forms shall safeguard the confidentiality of information  concerning
    29  persons  seeking  housing in the office of mental health service system,
    30  and accord each person on the waiting list the opportunity to receive  a
    31  written copy of all personal information maintained on the waiting list.
    32  Such  policies  and  procedures  shall provide for the community housing
    33  waiting list to include all persons on any local or state  waiting  list
    34  for  housing  in  the  office of mental health service system before the

    35  effective date of this subdivision and the date  upon  which  each  such
    36  person  was  first  placed  on  such  waiting list. Such list shall also
    37  include persons who are placed on any such local or state  waiting  list
    38  on or after the effective date of this subdivision.
    39    (f)  The  commissioner shall prepare a written report on the community
    40  housing waiting list of persons with a documented mental illness seeking
    41  housing in the office of mental  health  service  system.  Such  housing
    42  shall  include  community-based  housing  and related services for which
    43  persons are assessed pursuant to article twenty-five  of  the  executive
    44  law.  Such  report  shall  include, but not be limited to, the number of

    45  adults, by county, referred to the community housing waiting  list;  the
    46  number  of adults, by county, that applied for each category of residen-
    47  tial service; the number of adults, by county, admitted to each category
    48  of residential service; the number of adults, by county,  denied  admis-
    49  sion  to  each category of residential service; the number of adults, by
    50  county, who withdrew  applications  for  each  category  of  residential
    51  service;  and  the number of adults, by county, on the statewide waiting
    52  list for each category of residential service.  For  each  category  and
    53  county,  the  number of months on the waiting list shall be reported for
    54  each person. Such report also shall include the  types,  capacities  and

    55  vacancy  rates of residential services offered in each county and detail
    56  the efforts of the office to reduce the length of the waiting  list  for
        A. 4579--A                          3
 
     1  each category of residential service, including the methods by which the
     2  office prioritizes the provision of services to persons on the statewide
     3  community  housing  waiting  list and the efforts of the state to inform
     4  the public about the community housing waiting list and the availability
     5  of  community  housing  and services for adults with a documented mental
     6  illness.  Such report shall be submitted to  the  governor,  the  chair-
     7  person  of  the  senate  mental  health  and  developmental disabilities

     8  committee and the chairperson of the assembly mental  health  committee,
     9  and  each local community services board on or before January first, two
    10  thousand thirteen and monthly thereafter.
    11    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    12  it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediate-
    13  ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal  of  any  rule  or  regulation
    14  necessary  for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are
    15  authorized and directed to be made  and  completed  on  or  before  such
    16  effective date.