Bill Text: NY S03076 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes the Peer Advocacy and Mentoring program; provides peer support, advocacy and mentoring for youth in residential care.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-04 - REFERRED TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES [S03076 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-S03076-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         3076
                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   February 8, 2011
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sens. HUNTLEY, DIAZ, MONTGOMERY, STEWART-COUSINS -- read
         twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
         Committee on Children and Families
       AN  ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing the peer
         advocacy and mentoring program
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1.  The executive law is amended by adding a new section 522-a
    2  to read as follows:
    3    S  522-A.  PEER  ADVOCACY  AND  MENTORING  PROGRAM. 1. THERE IS HEREBY
    4  CREATED WITHIN THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, A PEER  ADVO-
    5  CACY AND MENTORING PROGRAM.
    6    2.  THE  OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL, IN CONSULTATION
    7  WITH THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND  WITHIN  THE  AMOUNTS  APPROPRIATED
    8  THEREFOR,  CONTRACT  WITH A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION OR ORGANIZATIONS
    9  SPECIALIZING IN PROVIDING PEER SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY  TO  YOUTH  AND  THE
   10  NEEDS  OF  YOUTH,  INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL
   11  NEEDS, TO ESTABLISH A PEER ADVOCACY AND MENTORING PROGRAM. SUCH  PROGRAM
   12  SHALL  BE  DESIGNED  TO PROVIDE PEER SUPPORT, ADVOCACY AND MENTORING FOR
   13  YOUTH RESIDING IN RESIDENTIAL CARE AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPHS
   14  (B) AND (G) OF SUBDIVISION FOUR OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED TWELVE-A OF  THE
   15  SOCIAL SERVICES LAW.
   16    3.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY INCONSISTENT PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY,
   17  PRIORITY FOR SERVICES UNDER THE  PEER  ADVOCACY  AND  MENTORING  PROGRAM
   18  SHALL  BE GIVEN TO YOUTH WHO WERE PLACED IN RESIDENTIAL CARE PURSUANT TO
   19  SECTION 353.3 OF THE FAMILY COURT ACT,  AND  WHO  RESIDE  IN  FACILITIES
   20  DESCRIBED IN SECTION FIVE HUNDRED FOUR OF THIS ARTICLE.
   21    4.  PEER ADVOCATES ACTING AS EMPLOYEES OR VOLUNTEERS IN THE PEER ADVO-
   22  CACY AND MENTORING PROGRAM SHALL: (A) BE INDIVIDUALS BETWEEN THE AGES OF
   23  SIXTEEN AND THIRTY WHO HAVE:
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD08768-01-1
       S. 3076                             2
    1    (I) PREVIOUSLY BEEN PLACED IN RESIDENTIAL CARE AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED
    2  IN PARAGRAPHS (B) AND (G) OF SUBDIVISION FOUR OF  SECTION  FOUR  HUNDRED
    3  TWELVE-A OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW;
    4    (II) EXPERIENCED DISABILITIES OR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS; AND
    5    (III)  SUCCESSFULLY  COMPLETED  TRAINING THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE
    6  COMMISSIONERS OF THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND THE OFFICE OF  CHILDREN
    7  AND  FAMILY  SERVICES,  QUALIFYING  SUCH INDIVIDUALS TO WORK IN THE PEER
    8  ADVOCACY AND MENTORING PROGRAM;
    9    (B) HAVE REASONABLE AND APPROPRIATE ACCESS  TO  YOUTH  IN  RESIDENTIAL
   10  FACILITIES  AND  THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH YOUTH IN A PRIVATE, CONFI-
   11  DENTIAL SETTING;
   12    (C) SERVE AS A LINK FOR YOUTH AND THEIR  FAMILIES  TO  OTHER  SUPPORTS
   13  INCLUDING  THE ATTORNEY FOR THE CHILD AND THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN AS
   14  DESCRIBED IN SECTION FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY-THREE-B OF THIS TITLE; AND
   15    (D) NOT IDENTIFY, IN ANY WAY, OUTSIDE OF THEIR SCOPE OF EMPLOYMENT  OR
   16  DUTIES  AS  A  PEER  ADVOCATE,  THE NAME OR IDENTITY OF ANY YOUTH SERVED
   17  WITHIN THE PEER ADVOCACY AND MENTORING PROGRAM WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRIT-
   18  TEN CONSENT OF SUCH YOUTH.
   19    S 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
   20  have become a law.