N.Y. Mental Hygiene Law § 7.24: Mental health disorder hospital discharge; policies and procedures

§ 7.24 Mental health disorder hospital discharge; policies and

procedures.

(a) The office, in consultation with the department of health, shall

develop or utilize existing educational materials to be provided to

general hospitals to disseminate to individuals with a documented mental

health disorder or who appear to have or be at risk for a mental health

disorder during discharge planning pursuant to section twenty-eight

hundred three-i of the public health law. Such materials shall include

information regarding the various types of treatment and support

services, including but not limited to: inpatient, outpatient treatment;

how to recognize the need for treatment services; information for

individuals to determine what type and level of treatment is most

appropriate and what resources are available to individuals; and any

other information the commissioner and the commissioner of health deem

appropriate.

(b) The commissioner in collaboration with the commissioner of health

shall assist and provide guidance for every general hospital to:

1. utilize existing, or in addition to current policies and

procedures, develop, maintain and disseminate, written policies and

procedures, for the identification, assessment and referral of

individuals with a documented mental health disorder or who appear to

have or be at risk for a mental health disorder; and

2. establish and implement training, within existing, or in addition

to current training programs, for all individuals licensed or certified

pursuant to title eight of the education law who provide direct patient

care regarding the policies and procedures established pursuant to this

section.

(c) If a general hospital does not directly provide mental health

disorder services, then the commissioner, in consultation with the

commissioner of health, shall provide the necessary information to refer

individuals in need of such services to and coordinate with mental

health service programs that provide such services, and have been issued

an operating certificate pursuant to article thirty-one of this chapter.