N.Y. Executive Law § 532-a: Definitions

§ 532-a. Definitions. For the purposes of this article the term:

1. "Runaway youth" shall mean a person under the age of eighteen years

who is absent from his or her legal residence without the consent of his

or her parent, legal guardian or custodian.

2. "Homeless youth" shall mean:

(a) a person under the age of eighteen who is in need of services and

is without a place of shelter where supervision and care are available;

or

(b) a person who is under the age of twenty-one but is at least age

eighteen and who is in need of services and is without a place of

shelter.

(c) Provided however, when a municipality's approved comprehensive

plan authorizes that services pursuant to this article be provided to

"homeless young adults" as such term is defined in this section, then

for purposes related to the provisions of that municipality's approved

comprehensive plan that include "homeless young adults", the term

"homeless youth" as used in this article shall be deemed to include

"homeless young adults".

3. "Youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services" shall

mean a person under the age of eighteen years who is a potential

respondent under article seven of the family court act, who, with the

consent of his or her parent or other person legally responsible for the

youth, is determined by the local juvenile probation department or

social services official to be in need of crisis intervention or respite

services.

4. "Runaway and homeless youth crisis services program" shall mean:

(a) any non-residential program approved by the office of children and

family services, after submission by the municipality as part of its

comprehensive plan, that provides services to runaway youth and homeless

youth in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and

family services; or

(b) any residential program which is operated by an authorized agency

as defined in subdivision ten of section three hundred seventy-one of

the social services law, and certified by the office of children and

family services to provide short-term residential services to runaway

youth and homeless youth in accordance with the applicable regulations

of the office of temporary and disability assistance and the office of

children and family services.

(c) Runaway and homeless youth crisis services programs may also

provide non-residential crisis intervention and, if certified,

residential respite services to youth in need of crisis intervention or

respite services, as such term is defined in this section. Residential

respite services in a certified runaway and homeless youth crisis

services program may be provided to such youth for no more than

twenty-one days, in accordance with the regulations of the office of

children and family services and section seven hundred thirty-five of

the family court act.

5. "Runaway and homeless youth service coordinator" shall mean any

person so designated by a municipality whose duties shall include but

not be limited to answering inquiries at any time concerning

transportation, shelter and other services available to a runaway or

homeless youth or a youth in need of crisis intervention or respite

services.

6. "Transitional independent living support program" shall mean:

(a) any non-residential program approved by the office of children and

family services, after submission by the municipality as part of its

comprehensive plan, that provides supportive services to enable homeless

youth to progress from crisis care and transitional care to independent

living, in accordance with the applicable regulations of the office of

children and family services; or

(b) any residential program established and operated to provide

supportive services, in accordance with the regulations of the office of

children and family services, to enable homeless youth to progress from

crisis care and transitional care to independent living.

(c) A transitional independent living support program may also provide

services to youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services.

Notwithstanding the time limitation in paragraph (i) of subdivision (d)

of section seven hundred thirty-five of the family court act,

residential respite services may be provided in a transitional

independent living support program for a period of more than twenty-one

days.

7. "Safe house" shall mean a residential program for sexually

exploited children as defined in subdivision one of section four hundred

forty-seven-a of the social services law. An approved runaway program

may operate a short-term safe house, as defined in subdivision two of

section four hundred forty-seven-a of the social services law, for

sexually exploited children. A transitional independent living support

program may operate a long-term safe house for sexually exploited

children.

8. "Municipality" shall mean a county, or a city having a population

of one million or more.

9. "Homeless young adult" shall mean a person who is age twenty-four

or younger but is at least age twenty-one and who is in need of services

and is without a place of shelter.