N.Y. Public Health Law § 2509-d: Veterans reproductive mental health care

§ 2509-d. Veterans reproductive mental health care. 1. As used in this

section:

(a) "Maternal health care provider" means a physician, midwife, nurse

practitioner, physician assistant, or other health care practitioner

acting within their lawful scope of practice, attending a pregnant

veteran or a veteran up to one year after childbirth, including a

practitioner attending the veteran's child up to one year after

childbirth.

(b) "Women veterans coordinator" shall mean the women veterans

coordinator appointed pursuant to section nineteen of the veterans'

services law.

(c) "Veteran" shall have the same meaning as such term is defined in

section one of the veterans' services law and shall also include a

veteran who has a qualifying condition, as defined in section one of the

veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad

conduct or dishonorable from such service, or is a discharged LGBT

veteran, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and

has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from

such service.

2. (a) The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of

mental health and the women veterans coordinator, shall make available

to maternal health care providers information on veterans reproductive

mental health care. The information shall include, but not be limited

to:

(i) the importance of identifying whether a patient has served in the

military in providing adequate maternal health care to veterans;

(ii) ensuring that all pregnant veteran patients are appropriately

screened for depression, intimate partner/domestic violence, military

sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, substance abuse,

and postpartum depression;

(iii) a summary of the current evidence-based and professional

guidelines for the screening of conditions listed in subparagraph (ii)

of this paragraph;

(iv) validated, evidence-based tools for screening the conditions

listed in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph; and

(v) information about follow-up support for patients who may require

further evaluation, referral, or treatment including, when available,

information about specific community resources and entities licensed by

the office of mental health.

(b) The information on veterans reproductive mental health care shall

be posted on the department's website. The commissioner shall, in

collaboration with the commissioner of mental health and the women

veterans coordinator, update and review the information on veterans

reproductive mental health, as necessary.

3. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of mental

health and the women veterans coordinator, shall: (a) inform providers

of the need to raise awareness about veterans reproductive mental health

issues; and (b) provide information on the department and the office of

mental health's websites regarding how to locate available providers who

treat or provide support for veterans reproductive mental health issues

including maternal depression including but not limited to, mental

health professionals, other licensed professionals, peer support,

not-for-profit corporations and other community resources.

4. The commissioner, in consultation with the women veterans

coordinator, shall make any regulations necessary to implement this

section.