Bill Text: NY A00219 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Amended

---

Bill Title: Establishes the direct support professional credential pilot program to assist and attract individuals into the field of direct support, advance direct support as a career and professionalize the field to promote workforce recruitment and retention efforts, while creating a career ladder; requires the office for people with developmental disabilities to administer such pilot program for three years; makes related provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to mental health [A00219 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A00219-Amended.html

---

                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        219--A
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 7, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of A. ABINANTI, LINARES -- read once and referred to
         the Committee on Mental Health -- reported and referred to the Commit-
         tee on Ways and Means -- committee discharged, bill  amended,  ordered
         reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
       AN  ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing the
         direct support professional credential pilot program
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section
    2  13.42 to read as follows:
    3  S 13.42 DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIAL PILOT PROGRAM.
    4    (A) THE OFFICE SHALL INITIATE A PROGRAM TO CONTINUE TO GAIN THE EXPER-
    5  TISE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES  WORKFORCE  AND  OF
    6  THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION NEEDS
    7  THROUGHOUT  THE  FIELD.  THE  OFFICE  SHALL  IMPLEMENT  A DIRECT SUPPORT
    8  PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIAL PILOT PROGRAM TO ASSIST AND ATTRACT  INDIVIDUALS
    9  INTO THE FIELD OF DIRECT SUPPORT, ADVANCE DIRECT SUPPORT AS A CAREER AND
   10  PROFESSIONALIZE THE FIELD TO PROMOTE WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
   11  EFFORTS, ADVANCE SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES, AND FURTHER ENSURE THE HEALTH,
   12  SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF INDIVIDUALS BEING SERVED.
   13    (B) THERE HEREBY IS CREATED THE DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIAL
   14  PILOT  PROGRAM  WITHIN  THE  OFFICE  TO  ASSIST INDIVIDUALS IN THE FIELD
   15  OBTAIN A CREDENTIAL IN THEIR FIELD OF EXPERTISE.
   16    (1) SUCH PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE OFFICE  FOR  THREE
   17  YEARS.  THE  PILOT  PROGRAM  SHALL INCLUDE STATE-OPERATED FACILITIES AND
   18  NOT-FOR-PROFIT PROVIDERS, LICENSED AND CERTIFIED BY  THE  OFFICE.    THE
   19  PURPOSE OF THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE TO ASSESS HOW THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
   20  A  STATE ACCREDITED DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIAL: (A) PROMOTES
   21  RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION  EFFORTS  IN  THE  DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITIES
   22  FIELD,  NOTABLY  THE  DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL POSITION; (B) ENHANCES
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03397-02-5
       A. 219--A                           2
    1  COMPETENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES FIELD; (C)  YIELDS  QUALITY
    2  SUPPORTS  AND  SERVICES  TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES;
    3  AND (D) ADVANCES THE HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS  SET  FORTH  BY  THE
    4  STATE.
    5    (2)  THE OFFICE IN ADMINISTERING THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL CONSIDER, BUT
    6  NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING:
    7    (A) BEST PRACTICES LEARNING INITIATIVES, INCLUDING THE  UNIVERSITY  OF
    8  MINNESOTA'S  COLLEGE OF DIRECT SUPPORT AND NEW YORK STATE DIRECT SUPPORT
    9  PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES;
   10    (B) NATIONAL DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES OR CREDENTIALING
   11  BASED STANDARDS AND TRAININGS;
   12    (C) FACILITATING DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT;
   13    (D) THE ROLE AND VALUE OF SKILL MENTORS; AND
   14    (E) CREATING A CAREER LADDER.
   15    (3) DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIAL MEANS A DOCUMENT ISSUED  TO
   16  AN INDIVIDUAL BY A RECOGNIZED ACCREDITING BODY ATTESTING THAT SUCH INDI-
   17  VIDUAL  HAS  MET  THE  PROFESSIONAL  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE CREDENTIALING
   18  PROGRAM BY THE OFFICE.
   19    (4) THE OFFICE SHALL PRODUCE A REPORT DETAILING THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE
   20  PILOT PROGRAM, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   21    (A)  THE  RATE OF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION FOR DIRECT SUPPORT PROFES-
   22  SIONALS OF PROVIDERS PARTICIPATING IN THE PILOT PROGRAM COMPARED TO  THE
   23  RATE FOR NON-PARTICIPATING PROVIDERS;
   24    (B) THE NUMBER OF DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS CREDENTIALED; AND
   25    (C)  THE  ENHANCEMENT  OF QUALITY SUPPORTS AND SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS
   26  WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
   27    S 2. This act shall take effect April 1, 2016.