BILL NUMBER: S8632

SPONSOR: ORTT
 
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.