A10938 Summary:
BILL NO | A10938 |
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SAME AS | SAME AS S08632 |
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SPONSOR | Gunther |
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COSPNSR | Jaffee, Lupardo |
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MLTSPNSR | |
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Amd §7.41, Ment Hyg L | |
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Authorizes the geriatric service demonstration program to promote mental health and home care collaboration within the program. |
A10938 Memo:
Go to topNEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)   BILL NUMBER: A10938 SPONSOR: Gunther
  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.
A10938 Text:
Go to top STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 10938 IN ASSEMBLY May 29, 2018 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Mental Health 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 Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 7.41 of the mental hygiene law, 2 as added by chapter 568 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 (a) The office shall establish a geriatric service demonstration 5 program to provide grants, within appropriations therefor, to providers 6 of mental health care to the elderly. The office is also authorized, 7 under the demonstration program, to foster and support collaboration 8 between providers of home care services licensed or certified under 9 article thirty-six of the public health law and mental health providers 10 for the integration of health and mental health care, and for all other 11 enumerated goals of this section. Such program shall be administered by 12 the office in cooperation with the state office for the aging and such 13 other state agencies as the commissioner shall determine are necessary 14 for the operation of the program. 15 § 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