What's happening
This bill creates a peer support services program for transgender and non-binary individuals, including training and credentialing for peer counselors.
Why it matters
Expands access to mental health and substance abuse support. specifically tailored for transgender and non-binary individuals, addressing unique challenges and barriers to care that these communities often face.
Creates formal pathways for training and certifying peer counselors. from within the transgender and non-binary communities, potentially increasing trust, relatability, and effectiveness of support services.
Establishes oversight and quality standards for peer support. , including minimum qualifications and mechanisms to issue, suspend, or revoke credentials, ensuring that services are both safe and professionally accountable.
Includes a broad range of supportive services beyond mental health. , such as family support and domestic violence counseling, acknowledging the intersecting needs faced by many transgender and non-binary individuals.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Trans Peer Support Program
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to rules
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
9101
IN SENATE
November 20, 2020
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a peer support services program for transgender and non-binary individuals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 7.49 to read as follows: § 7.49 Transgender peer support program.
(a) The commissioner shall develop and establish regional or countybased peer support services programs for transgender and non-binary individuals. Services provided by the peer support program shall include, but not be limited to, peer counseling for mental illness including alcohol and substance abuse counseling, family support services, domestic violence, mental health and physical health.
(b) The commissioner shall foster programs for the training and development of persons capable of providing the services set forth in this section, including, but not limited to, a process of issuing, either directly or through contract, credentials for recognized or certified peer counselors.
(c) The office shall establish minimum qualifications for recognized or certified peer counselors in all phases of delivery of services to transgender and non-binary individuals who are evaluated and certified or recognized by the office on factors including, but not limited to, completion of approved courses of study or equivalent on-the-job experience in mental health counseling, alcoholism and substance abuse counseling or other credentials established or recognized by the office.
(d) The office shall establish procedures for issuing, directly or through contract, credentials to certified peer counselors who meet minimum qualifications, and shall further establish procedures to suspend, revoke or annul such credentials for good cause.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD17632-01-0
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 establishing a peer support services program for transgender and non-binary individuals
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of the bill is to establish a peer support program for transgender and non-binary individuals. Develop and establish regional and county-based support services for transgender and non-binary indi- viduals
Summary of specific provisions
Transgender and non-binary peer support program. Services provided by the peer support program shall include, but not be limited to, coun- seling for alcohol and substance abuse counseling, family support services, domestic violence, mental health and physical health. The Commissioner shall foster programs for training and issuing licenses to people capable of providing peer support.
Justification
A 2014 study found that LGBQ people who live in communities with more stigmatizing attitudes about their sexual orientation die an average of 12 years earlier than LGBQ people in the least-prejudiced communities. In 2015, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that one in three LGBQ adults experienced mental illness in 2015, compared with only one in five heterosexual adults. This bill aims to address and correct these systematic issues.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.