N.Y. Social Services Law § 464-a: Legislative findings

§ 464-a. Legislative findings. The legislature hereby finds,

determines, and declares that:

1. In rural areas there is a necessity to promote different approaches

to human services delivery if programs are to properly address diverse

community and individual needs and such unique rural conditions as low

population density; a large proportion of elderly persons; the absence

of economies of scale; geographic isolation; inadequate transportation;

fluctuating service demands; and general lack of suitable alternatives

for service delivery.

2. The human services delivery system in rural areas is often

fragmented, consisting of isolated providers with limited financial

resources and limited information-sharing networks. Many such providers

are currently providing identical or similar services to the same

clientele in the same area, often without being aware of a possible

duplication of effort.

3. A full range of coordinated and integrated human services is vital

to the health and well-being of residents of rural areas of the state

who are or may in the future be confronted with such intense social

problems as domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, migrant health

problems, nutritional deficiencies, suicide, hunger, unemployment, lack

of suitable shelter, crime, drug and alcohol abuse and poverty.

4. A proper response to intense social problems in some rural areas

would be to encourage greater sharing of information and resources among

human services providers in such rural areas, thereby enhancing the

cost-effectiveness and delivery of services required to address such

social problems. Such cooperative undertakings could be accomplished if

a program of financial incentives and state-level technical assistance

were made available to encourage providers in rural areas to embark upon

such cooperative arrangements and networking of the services they

provide.