S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  6516

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              April 4, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. ORTIZ -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Veterans' Affairs

AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation  to  establishing  a
  peer support program for veterans

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a  new  section
7.42 to read as follows:
S 7.42 PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR VETERANS.
  (A)  FOR  THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION THE TERM "PEER SUPPORT SERVICES"
SHALL MEAN ANY SERVICE DESIGNATED BY THE OFFICE USED  IN  THE  TREATMENT
AND  RECOVERY  OF MENTAL ILLNESS, ALCOHOL ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND/OR
CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE THAT IS DELIVERED BY A CERTIFIED PEER COUNSELOR; AND
THE TERM "CERTIFIED  PEER  COUNSELOR"  SHALL  MEAN  AN  INDIVIDUAL  WITH
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AS A MENTAL HEALTH RECIPIENT AND/OR AN INDIVIDUAL IN
RECOVERY  FROM  ALCOHOL  ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND/OR CHEMICAL DEPEND-
ENCE, WHO HAS SERVED IN THE ACTIVE MILITARY  OR  NAVAL  SERVICE  OF  THE
UNITED  STATES AND HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM SUCH SERVICE OTHERWISE THAN BY
DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE AND AS DOCUMENTED BY HIS OR HER DISCHARGE  PAPERS
OR WHO HAS BEEN FURLOUGHED TO THE RESERVE COMPONENTS OF THE ARMED FORCES
OF  THE UNITED STATES WHO HAS TRAINING, CREDENTIALS OR EXPERIENCE RECOG-
NIZED BY THE OFFICE.
  (B) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO  THE  CONTRARY,  THE
COMMISSIONER,  IN  CONJUNCTION  WITH  THE COMMISSIONER OF ALCOHOLISM AND
SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES, AND THE STATE  DIRECTOR  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF
VETERANS'  AFFAIRS SHALL DEVELOP AND ESTABLISH A MINIMUM OF TWO REGIONAL
PEER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS. SERVICES  PROVIDED  BY  THE
PEER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, PEER
COUNSELING  FOR MENTAL ILLNESS INCLUDING POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER,
ALCOHOL  AND  SUBSTANCE  ABUSE  COUNSELING,  INFORMATION  ON  ACCESS  TO

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD09513-01-3

              

A. 6516                             2

SERVICES,  FAMILY  SUPPORT  SERVICES,  AND WHERE APPLICABLE, SPECIALIZED
SERVICES FOR FEMALE VETERANS.
  (C)  THE  COMMISSIONER,  IN  CONJUNCTION  WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
OFFICE OF ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES AND THE STATE DIRECTOR
OF THE DIVISION OF VETERANS'  AFFAIRS  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 CERTIFIED
PEER COUNSELORS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING:
  1. THE OFFICE SHALL ESTABLISH  MINIMUM  QUALIFICATIONS  FOR  CERTIFIED
PEER  COUNSELORS  IN  ALL PHASES OF DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO VETERANS WHO
ARE SUFFERING FROM ANY OR  A  COMBINATION  OF  THE  FOLLOWING:    MENTAL
ILLNESS, ALCOHOL ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND/OR CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE THAT
SHALL  INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, COMPLETION OF APPROVED COURSES OF
STUDY OR EQUIVALENT ON-THE-JOB EXPERIENCE IN  MENTAL  HEALTH  COUNSELING
AND/OR ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING; AND
  2.  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.
  S 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth  day  after  it  shall
have  become  a  law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the
addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary
for  the  implementation of this act on its effective date is authorized
and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.