BILL NUMBER: S6722

SPONSOR: SALAZAR
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to mental health
training for intake workers at homeless shelters

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill will establish a training course for homeless shelter profes-
sionals that will provide employees with leading practices for identify-
ing signs of mental illness so that they can connect incoming recipients
with appropriate services.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Amends Section 17 of the Social Service law by adding a subdivision E-1
requiring the commissioner of social services, in conjunction with the
commissioner of the office for mental health, develop and require
participation of all employees or volunteers at a homeless shelter who
provide intake services in a training course. Such course shall focus on
              

best practices for identifying individuals with signs of mental illness
and for connecting individuals who suffer, or are reasonably likely to
suffer from mental illness with all appropriate services. Such training
shall be conducted live and in person so that the trainer can interact
with the trainees.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Homelessness and housing insecurity continue to be significant issues in
New York State, and have been exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19
public health emergency. Research indicates that among the main reasons
for homelessness among single adults are mental illness and substance
abuse.

An increase access to mental health services, including psychiatric
consultations and preventative health care will lead to a reduction in
hospitalizations, allow for emergency intervention through case manage-
ment professionals, increase the possibility for obtaining needed
psychiatric treatment which secures the safety of other shelter users,
and will lead to an overall reduction in shelter re-entry population,
reducing homeless figures.

Those wide ranges of social and psychiatric services are only available
to those who are placed in supportive permanent housing, which restricts
the individual's ability to build long-term stable housing solutions.
Because of this, this bill is crucial for establishing an intake process
that will connect homeless from the beginning with appropriate services.
This bill intends to standardize the training process for shelter intake
professionals that will meditate the issue relating to inappropriate
staff response or handling of individuals with psychiatric disabilities.
It will also further instruct individuals on how to properly identify
the symptoms relating to psychiatric condition, which will greatly
improve the client's ability to receive the needed treatment, reduce the
longevity of shelter use, and more accurately vet those individuals to
connect there with proper services in a more efficient manner.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019 and 2020:  Senate - reported out of Social Services Committee.
Assembly - referred to Social Services.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.