NY State Senate Bill 2023-S7238

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to mental health
May 18, 2023	referred to mental health

2023-S7238 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Mental Health
Law Section:: Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:: Add §7.48, Ment Hyg L

2023-S7238 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a mental wellness group pilot program to partner with insurance companies to facilitate group therapy sessions for children ages ten through eighteen.

2023-S7238 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7238

SPONSOR: ASHBY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
mental wellness group pilot program

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would direct the Office of Mental Health to create the "Mental
Wellness Group Pilot Program". This pilot program would empower insur-
ance companies to work with school districts to create student-led
mental wellness groups.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends mental hygiene law to direct the Office of Mental
Health to create the "Mental Wellness Group Pilot Program." The office
is tasked with promulgating all necessary rules and regulations for the
pilot program.

The office will award competitive grants of up to $500,000 each year for
5 years to insurance companies that demonstrate the ability to implement
the pilot program and contract with counseling services within certain
geographic regions.

The counseling services will launch groups of 2 or more children (ages
10 to 18 years) that will be known as Mental Wellness Groups. The chil-
dren may come from public, private or homeschools to gather in-person
and work towards mental wellness goals that they have established.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Access to mental health services is often wanted, but not attainable.
Children and their parents shouldn't have to jump through hoops to find
mental health care. Moreover, we need to create opportunities where
children can help each other obtain their mental wellness goals. If
children's mental health was more pro-active, there might not be so many
mental health crises.

Therefore, this legislation directs the Office of Mental Health to
create a program and to award competitive grants to insurance companies
who are able to start regional "Mental Wellness Groups".  These "Mental
Wellness Groups" would partner children ages 10 to 18 with counseling
services, no matter if the children attend public or private schools or
if they are home-schooled.

The goals of these groups will be established by the children in
conjunction with their counselors, and will take on a student-led
approach. The mental wellness group will provide a safe space that helps
students identify problems, causes, alternatives and possible conse-
quences so they can make decisions and take appropriate actions and help
students overcome any issues that impede achievement or success.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the 120th day after it shall have become a
law; however effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or repeal
of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act
are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective
date.

2023-S7238 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7238
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 18, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  ASHBY  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation  to  establishing  a
   mental wellness group pilot program
 
   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
 7.48 to read as follows:
 § 7.48 MENTAL WELLNESS GROUP PILOT PROGRAM.
   1.  (A)  THERE IS HEREBY CREATED WITHIN THE OFFICE THE MENTAL WELLNESS
 GROUP PILOT PROGRAM. THE PURPOSE OF THE PILOT PROGRAM IS TO PARTNER WITH
 INSURANCE COMPANIES TO FACILITATE GROUP THERAPY  SESSIONS  FOR  CHILDREN
 AGES TEN THROUGH EIGHTEEN.
   (B)  THE  OFFICE  SHALL  BE  AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO PROMULGATE ALL
 NECESSARY RULES AND REGULATIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THE  MENTAL  WELL-
 NESS  GROUP  PILOT PROGRAM. SUCH PILOT PROGRAM SHALL GATHER TOGETHER TWO
 OR MORE CHILDREN TO FORM MENTAL WELLNESS GROUPS.  SUCH CHILDREN SHALL BE
 AT LEAST TEN YEARS OLD AND NO OLDER THAN EIGHTEEN. SUCH  CHILDREN  SHALL
 BE  ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE GROUP AND SHALL HELP TO DEVELOP THE GOALS
 THEY WISH TO REACH. THE MENTAL WELLNESS GROUP SHALL HELP STUDENTS  IDEN-
 TIFY  PROBLEMS,  CAUSES,  ALTERNATIVES AND POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES SO THEY
 CAN MAKE DECISIONS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS AND HELP STUDENTS  OVER-
 COME ISSUES IMPEDING ACHIEVEMENT OR SUCCESS;
   2.  (A) THE OFFICE SHALL CONTRACT WITH REGIONAL INSURANCE COMPANIES TO
 ADMINISTER THE PILOT PROGRAM UNDER THIS SECTION. THE OFFICE SHALL  AWARD
 COMPETITIVE  GRANTS OF UP TO FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH YEAR FOR
 A PERIOD OF UP TO FIVE YEARS TO EACH INSURANCE COMPANY THAT DEMONSTRATES
 THE ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT THE PILOT PROGRAM UNDER THIS SECTION  IN  THEIR
 REGION, HAS AN OUTREACH PLAN, AND HAS THE ABILITY TO CONTRACT WITH COUN-
 SELING  SERVICES.  THE  OFFICE  SHALL  DETERMINE  THE QUALIFICATIONS AND
 PROFESSIONS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO SUPPLY COUNSELING SERVICES.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11547-01-3

 S. 7238                             2
 
   (B) CONTRACTS WITH INSURANCE COMPANIES UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE
 FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS AND SHALL BE REEVALUATED BY THE OFFICE  EVERY
 TWELVE  MONTHS  TO  ENSURE SUCH COMPANIES CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A POSITIVE
 BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY AND CONFORM TO THE PROGRAM CRITERIA.
   (C)  CONTRACTED  INSURANCE COMPANIES UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL WORK
 WITH REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO IMPLEMENT MENTAL WELLNESS  GROUPS,  AS
 DEVELOPED  BY  THE  PILOT  PROGRAM  TO COORDINATE THEIR EFFORTS WITH THE
 LOCAL COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS OR PROGRAMS OR OTHER LEAD  MENTAL
 HEALTH  ORGANIZATIONS  IN  COUNTIES  AND CITIES WITHIN THE REGION OF THE
 CONTRACTED INSURANCE COMPANY AND SHALL ESTABLISH A REFERRAL  SYSTEM  AND
 LINKAGES  TO EXISTING AREA MENTAL WELLNESS PROGRAMS AND FINANCING SOURC-
 ES.
   3. A CONTRACTED INSURANCE  COMPANY  ADMINISTERING  THE  PILOT  PROGRAM
 SHALL  PROVIDE  TECHNICAL  ASSISTANCE  TO  IMPLEMENT  THE  PROGRAM WHICH
 INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO:
   (A) ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE INFORMATION SERVICES AND COUNSELING SERVICES,
 INCLUDING INFORMATION ON THE REGION AND DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE CHILDREN;
   (B) DEVELOPMENT OF MENTAL WELLNESS CONNECTIONS, INCLUDING  INTERACTION
 AND  EXCHANGE  AMONG LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH GROUPS, AND RESOURCE PROVIDERS,
 INCLUDING, PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING SESSIONS, AND MENTORING PROGRAMS;
   (C) ASSISTANCE IN UNDERSTANDING STATE LAWS AND REGULATIONS  APPLICABLE
 TO SUCH INSURANCE COMPANIES; AND
   (D)  ANY  OTHER FORM OF CONSULTATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT MAY
 BE PROVIDED TO THE ELIGIBLE BUSINESS TO ASSIST WITH ITS MARKETING NEEDS.
   4. THE COMMISSIONER  SHALL  BY  REGULATION,  ESTABLISH  THE  MANDATORY
 REPORTS,  THE PERSONS OR ENTITIES WITH WHOM SUCH REPORTS SHALL BE FILED,
 AND THE TREATMENT SERVICES THAT MAY BE OFFERED OR DIRECTED BY  A  MENTAL
 WELLNESS GROUP.
   5.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL REVIEW THE PROGRESS OF THE PILOT PROGRAM AT
 LEAST  ONCE  EVERY  TWELVE  MONTHS  AND  SHALL  DETERMINE  WHETHER   THE
 CONTRACTED ENTITY IS MEETING ITS CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS FOR ADMINISTER-
 ING THE PILOT PROGRAM. THE DEPARTMENT MAY TERMINATE AND REBID A CONTRACT
 IF THE CONTRACTED INSURANCE COMPANY DOES NOT MEET.
   6.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, THE TERM "INSURANCE COMPANY"
 SHALL MEAN A COMPANY DOING AN INSURANCE  BUSINESS  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
 ELEVEN HUNDRED ONE OF THE INSURANCE LAW.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.

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Senate Bill S7238

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health Committee

2023-S7238 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S7238 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S7238 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S7238 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S7238

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Sponsored By

Jacob Ashby

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health Committee

2023-S7238 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S7238 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S7238 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S7238 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments