N.Y. Mental Hygiene Law § 7.41: Geriatric service demonstration program

§ 7.41 Geriatric service demonstration program.

(a) The office shall establish a geriatric service demonstration

program to provide grants, within appropriations therefor, to providers

of mental health care, substance use disorder services, compulsive

gambling services, or any combination thereof, to the elderly, including

organizations that provide health and aging services as well as mental

health, substance use disorder, and compulsive gambling organizations.

The office is also authorized, under the demonstration program, to

foster and support collaboration between providers of home care services

licensed or certified under article thirty-six of the public health law

and mental health providers for the integration of health and mental

health care, and for all other enumerated goals of this section. Such

program shall be administered by the office in cooperation with the

office of alcoholism and substance abuse services, the state office for

the aging and such other state agencies as the commissioner shall

determine are necessary for the operation of the program.

(b) Grants may be awarded by the office to providers of care to older

adults with mental disabilities, substance use disorder, compulsive

gambling, or any combination thereof, for the purposes which may include

one or more of the following:

(1) Community integration. Programs which enable older adults with

mental disabilities or older adults suffering from substance use

disorder or compulsive gambling to age safely in the community and

prevent the unnecessary use of institutional care;

(2) Improved quality of treatment. Programs for older adults which

improve the quality of mental health care, substance use disorder or

compulsive gambling services in the community or in residential

facilities;

(3) Integration of services. Programs which integrate mental health

and aging services with alcohol, drug, health and other support

services;

(4) Workforce. Programs which make more efficient use of mental

health, substance use disorder, compulsive gambling, health and aging

services professionals by developing alternative service roles for

paraprofessionals and volunteers, including peers, and programs more

effective in recruitment and retention of bi-lingual, bi-cultural or

culturally competent staff;

(5) Family support. Programs which provide support for family

caregivers, to include the provision of care to older adults by younger

family members and by older adults to younger family members;

(6) Finance. Programs which have developed and implemented innovative

financing methodologies to support the delivery of best practices;

(7) Specialized populations. Programs which concentrate on outreach

to, engagement of and effective treatment of cultural minorities or

veterans as defined in section eighty-five of the civil service law;

(8) Information clearinghouse. Programs which compile, distribute and

make available information on clinical developments, program innovations

and policy developments which improve the care to older adults with

mental disabilities or suffering from substance use disorder or

compulsive gambling; and

(9) Staff training. Programs which offer on-going training initiatives

including improved clinical and cultural skills, evidence based

geriatric mental health, substance use disorder and compulsive gambling

treatment skills, and the identification and management of mental,

behavioral and substance abuse disorders among older adults.

(c) The commissioner may adopt rules and regulations necessary to

implement the provisions of this section.