What's happening
This bill requires the creation of an online PTSD diagnosis and treatment training program for mental health providers serving military veterans.
Why it matters
Improves mental health care quality for veterans. by ensuring providers are trained in diagnosing and treating PTSD, which is highly prevalent among former military personnel.
Addresses the unique needs and experiences of veterans. through a required component on military culture competency, helping clinicians better understand service-related trauma and its effects.
Increases access to specialized training. by making the program available online and offering certification, potentially raising the standard of care statewide and encouraging more providers to participate.
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Who cares
Office of Mental Health
The commissioner would have to develop and post online a training program on diagnosing and treating PTSD in military veterans, in cooperation with other state agencies or relevant stakeholders.
Mental health providers and clinicians
They would be the intended audience for training that includes military culture competency, with completion certification potentially available through the office.
Military veterans
The program would focus on preparing mental health professionals to diagnose and treat their PTSD.
Headline styles
Train Providers on PTSD
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.552
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to mental health and developmental disabilities
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to mental health and developmental disabilities
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5046
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 4, 2019
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- 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 a program for the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 7.17 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new subdivision (g) to read as follows:
(g) The commissioner, in cooperation with any other state agency or relevant stakeholder shall develop a training program to be posted on the office's website for the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder for military veterans. The program shall include a component on military culture competency and shall be intended for the training of mental health providers and mental health clinicians. Certification of the completion of the program may be provided to participants through the office.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10678-01-9
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 a program for the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder
Summary of provisions
Amends section 7.17 of the mental hygiene law to require the Office of Mental Health (OMH) to develop a training program which includes a component on military culture competency for mental health providers and clinicians to diagnose and treat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Justification
It is estimated that 11-20% of Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and about 30% of Vietnam Veterans have PTSD. Many veterans' experience situations which most civilians have never experienced. These situ- ations can be unfamiliar to mental health providers who may be tasked with diagnosing and treating a veteran who has PTSD.
When veterans return home with symptoms of PTSD, they are often referred to mental health professionals who may have no military experience and therefore little to no knowledge of military culture. Mental health providers in rural areas have the additional challenge of, at times, being a great distance away from any training programs that may be able to help them in regards to the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD. This bill requires the program be placed on the website of OMH along with other resources the Office already offers.
Legislative history
2017-18: S5367 REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2015-16: A1256 Referred to Veterans' Affairs 2013-14: A7737 Referred to Veterans' Affairs
Fiscal implications
Minimal to state.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.