What's happening
This bill allows New York's geriatric service demonstration program to promote collaboration between home care and mental health providers.
Why it matters
Addresses the gap between physical and mental health care for older adults. by specifically authorizing and encouraging partnerships between home care agencies and mental health providers, which could lead to more comprehensive and coordinated care for seniors.
May improve outcomes for elderly individuals with complex needs. , as integrating mental and physical health services can reduce hospitalizations, enhance quality of life, and better address issues like depression, dementia, or social isolation that are common among this population.
Signals a shift in state policy toward collaborative care models. , potentially paving the way for similar initiatives in other health and human services sectors, and encouraging innovation in how care is delivered to vulnerable populations.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Link Home and Mental Health
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 62
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Substituted by A10938
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1480
- Referred to mental health and developmental disabilities
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Link Home Care, Mental Health
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Aileen Gunther
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8632
IN SENATE
May 10, 2018
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the geriatric service demonstration program, to promote mental health and home care collaboration within the program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 7.41 of the mental hygiene law, as added by chapter 568 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
(a) The office shall establish a geriatric service demonstration program to provide grants, within appropriations therefor, to providers of mental health care to the elderly. The office is also authorized, under the demonstration program, to foster and support collaboration between providers of home care services licensed or certified under article thirty-six of the public health law and mental health providers for the integration of health and mental health care, and for all other enumerated goals of this section. Such program shall be administered by the office in cooperation with the state office for the aging and such other state agencies as the commissioner shall determine are necessary for the operation of the program.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15899-01-8
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the geriatric service demonstration program, to promote mental health and home care collaboration within the program
Purpose or general idea of bill
To promote mental health and home care collaboration within the Geria- tric Service Demonstration Program for the purpose of coordination, integration and improved access of health and mental health services for individuals with co-occurring mental health and physical health needs. Will better assist individuals to age-in-place in their homes and commu- nities, avoid hospitalizations, promote better care transitions from hospital to home, and support quality of health and life for New Yorkers with mental health conditions.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 amends paragraph (a) of section 7.41 of the mental hygiene law (the Geriatric Services Demonstration Program) to authorize the office of mental health to include under the demonstration promotion of home care provider collaboration with mental health providers to promote the integration of health and mental health services for the patients and to overall promote the goals of the demonstration program (referenced above).
Section 2 of the bill provides for an immediate effective date.
Justification
This legislation reinforces the goals of the state's mental health poli- cies of prioritizing care in the community, and supporting the total range of patient needs' required to maintain quality community life and avert exacerbations, emergencies, hospitalizations and potential long term institutionalization. Particularly as individuals in the mental health community age, their physical health needs become of equal or ever greater consequence to their health and care management.
Home care agencies are the state's certified, licensed and expert providers of health care in the home and community. The agency staffs - nurses, therapists, social workers and home health/personal care aides - combined with the direct care, service management and telehealth/technology services that the agencies provide are a perfect and logical match with mental health providers to collaboratively formu- late and maintain a total care and management model for the patients.
By incorporating home care collaboration with mental health providers under the Geriatric Services Demonstration Program, this legislation can be a significant step not only in meeting the patient needs, but also in laying the broader groundwork for statewide policy and model develop- ment.
Fiscal implications
Anticipate savings to the state from the collaborative health-mental health effort.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.