S308-2011 Actions

• Mar 12, 2012: COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
• Feb 21, 2012: NOTICE OF COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION - REQUESTED
• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE
• May 9, 2011: REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
• Apr 13, 2011: NOTICE OF COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION - REQUESTED
• Feb 23, 2011: COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE
• Feb 22, 2011: NOTICE OF COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION - REQUESTED
• Jan 5, 2011: REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

S308-2011 Meetings

S308-2011 Votes

S308-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S308

TITLE OF BILL:              REVISED 12/30/11

An act
to amend the mental hygiene law
and chapter 568 of the laws of 2005, amending the mental hygiene law
relating to enacting the geriatric mental health act,
in relation to mental health care and
chemical dependence
services for the elderly under the geriatric mental health
and chemical dependence demonstration program

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To amend the existing geriatric mental health act to expand the
advisory scope of the interagency geriatric mental health planning
council to include issues of substance abuse and chemical dependence.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 Amends Section 7.41 of the Metal Hygiene Law. Renames such
section as the "Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependence
Demonstration program". Requires the consideration of chemical
dependence services for mental health programs directed to seniors.

Section 2 Amends section 3 of chapter 568 of the laws of 2005. Expands
the advisory scope of the Interagency Geriatric Mental Health and
Chemical Dependence Planning Council. Makes technical amendments to
such section.

Section 3 provides for an effective date.

EXISTING LAW:
Title B, Article 7, Section 7.41 of the Mental Hygiene
Law establishes the Geriatric Service Demonstration Program.

JUSTIFICATION:
It is estimated that 17% of seniors suffer from alcoholism or some
other form of chemical dependence. As our senior population is
expected to increase over the next 15 years, we must act proactively
to develop programs and strategies to meet the expected needs of our
seniors. This legislation is unlike previous attempts to provide
chemical dependence services for seniors because it does not create a
new bureaucracy to investigate best practices for senior chemical
dependence services. It simply expands an existing planning council
to address chemical dependence among the elderly in New York State.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2011:    S.308 - Reported and Committed to Finance/A.265 Reported.
         Referred to Rules
2009-10: S.2207 - Reported and Committed to Finance/A.1843 - Reported
         Referred to Ways and Means
2008:    S.6817/A.9846 - Passed Both Houses, Veto Memo
14

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:


To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S308-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 
                                          308
 2011-2012 Regular Sessions
 I N  SENATE
 (PREFILED)
 January 5, 2011
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  DIAZ  --  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 and chapter 568 of  the  laws  of
 2005,  amending the mental hygiene law relating to enacting the geria
 tric mental health act, in relation to mental health care and chemical
 dependence services for the elderly under the geriatric mental  health
 and chemical dependence demonstration program
 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section 1.

Section 7.41 of the mental hygiene law, as added by chapter
 568 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:

 

S 7.41 Geriatric [service] MENTAL HEALTH AND CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE  demon
 stration program.
 (a) The office shall establish a geriatric [service] MENTAL HEALTH AND
 CHEMICAL  DEPENDENCE  demonstration  program  to  provide grants, within
 appropriations therefor, to providers of mental health care OR  CHEMICAL
 DEPENDENCE  SERVICES,  OR  BOTH, to the elderly, INCLUDING ORGANIZATIONS
 THAT PROVIDE HEALTH AND AGING SERVICES AS  WELL  AS  MENTAL  HEALTH  AND
 CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE ORGANIZATIONS. Such program shall be administered by
 the  office  in  cooperation with THE OFFICE OF ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE
 ABUSE SERVICES, the state office for the  aging  and  such  other  state
 agencies as the commissioner shall determine are necessary for the oper
 ation of the program.
 (b)  Grants may be awarded by the office to providers of care to older
 adults with mental disabilities OR CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE, OR BOTH, for the
 purposes which may include one or more of the following:

 (1) Community integration. Programs which  enable  older  adults  with
 mental  disabilities  OR OLDER ADULTS SUFFERING FROM CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD01860-01-1
 
       S. 308                              2
 to age SAFELY in the community and prevent the unnecessary use of insti
 tutional care;
 (2)  Improved  quality  of  treatment. Programs for older adults which
 improve the  quality  of  mental  health  care  OR  CHEMICAL  DEPENDENCE
 SERVICES in the community OR IN RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES;
 (3)  Integration  of  services. Programs which integrate mental health
 and  aging  services  with  alcohol,  drug,  health  and  other  support
 services;
 (4) Workforce. Programs which make more efficient use of mental health
 [and],  CHEMICAL  DEPENDENCE, health AND AGING SERVICES professionals by
 developing alternative service roles for  paraprofessionals  and  volun
 teers,  including  peers, and programs more effective in recruitment and
 retention of bi-lingual, bi-cultural or culturally competent staff;
 (5) Family support. Programs which provide support for family caregiv
 ers, to include the provision of care to older adults by younger  family
 members and by older adults to younger family members;
 (6)  Finance. Programs which have developed and implemented innovative
 financing methodologies to support the delivery of best practices;
 (7) Specialized populations. Programs which  concentrate  on  outreach
 to,  engagement  of  and  effective  treatment of cultural minorities OR
 VETERANS AS DEFINED IN SECTION EIGHTY-FIVE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW;
 (8) Information clearinghouse. Programs which compile, distribute  and
 make available information on clinical developments, program innovations
 and  policy  developments  which  improve  the care to older adults with
 mental disabilities OR SUFFERING FROM CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE; and
 (9) Staff training. Programs which offer on-going training initiatives
 including improved clinical and cultural skills, evidence  based  geria
 tric  mental  health  AND  CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE TREATMENT skills, and the
 identification and management of mental, behavioral and substance  abuse
 disorders among older adults.
 (c)  The  commissioner  may  adopt  rules and regulations necessary to
 implement the provisions of this section.
 

S 2.

Section 3 of chapter 568 of the laws of 2005, amending the mental
 hygiene law relating to enacting the geriatric  mental  health  act,  as
 amended  by  chapter  203  of  the  laws  of 2008, is amended to read as
 follows:

 

S 3. Interagency geriatric mental health and chemical dependence plan
 ning council. (a) There shall be established  an  interagency  geriatric
 mental  health  and  chemical dependence planning council.  Such council
 shall consist of nineteen members, as follows:

 (1) the commissioner of mental health, the commissioner of  alcoholism
 and  substance abuse services, the director of the division of veterans'
 affairs and the director of the state office for the  aging,  who  shall
 serve  as the co-chairs of the council. The adjutant general shall serve
 as an ex-officio member of the council;
 (2) one member appointed by the commissioner  of  [mental  retardation
 and]  THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH developmental disabilities to represent
 the office [of mental retardation and]  FOR  PEOPLE  WITH  developmental
 disabilities;
 (3)  one  member  appointed by the chairman of the state commission on
 quality of care and advocacy for persons with disabilities to  represent
 such commission;
 (4)  one  member  appointed by the commissioner of health to represent
 the department of health;
 (5) one member appointed by the commissioner of education to represent
 the education department and the board of regents;
 
       S. 308                              3
 (6) one member appointed by the commissioner of  children  and  family
 services  to  represent  the  office  of children and family services on
 issues relating to adult protective services;
 (7) one member appointed by the commissioner of temporary and disabil
 ity  assistance  to  represent  the  office  of temporary and disability
 assistance;
 (8) four members appointed by the governor; and
 (9) two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate and
 two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly  to  represent  any
 other  organizations  which  serve  or  advocate  on  behalf  of elderly
 persons.
 (b) The members of the council shall serve at the  pleasure  of  their
 appointing authority.
 (c)  The  council  shall meet as often as necessary, but not less than
 four times per calendar year, to develop annual recommendations,  to  be
 submitted  to  the  commissioner  of  mental health, the commissioner of
 alcoholism and substance abuse services, the director of the division of
 veterans' affairs, the adjutant general and the director  of  the  state
 office  for  the  aging,  regarding geriatric mental health and chemical
 dependence needs. Such recommendations may address issues which include:

 community  integration,  quality  improvement,  integration  of   mental
 health,  CHEMICAL  DEPENDENCE,  HEALTH, AGING AND SUCH RELEVANT services
 [with services to  address  alcoholism,  drug  abuse,  and  health  care
 needs,]  AS  APPROPRIATE;  AND workforce development, family support and
 finance.
 

S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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