N.Y. Social Services Law § 482-b: Definitions

§ 482-b. Definitions. As used in this article:

1. "Settlement house" means an independent, voluntary, not-for-profit

organization demonstrating affiliation with the New York state

association for settlement houses and neighborhood centers engaged in

community work and social services delivery in a defined neighborhood in

a municipality of the state of New York which provides comprehensive,

coordinated, family-focused multi-generational human services such as

child care, employment training, housing assistance counseling, youth

development, educational services, senior services and arts and cultural

activities, based on the needs of the neighborhood or neighborhoods

served and which:

(a) has been incorporated for at least three years;

(b) is qualified as a tax-exempt organization pursuant to section

501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code;

(c) provides services to all those who live in the neighborhood or

neighborhoods served without regard to race, creed, religious practice,

color, sex, age, national origin, economic status, disability, or

affectional preference;

(d) has an independent, autonomous board of directors which meets at

regular intervals, has full authority over the policies and operations

of the organization, and the membership of which includes community

residents;

(e) employs appropriate staff including a position of chief executive

officer;

(f) has a budget which is adopted on an annual basis by the board of

directors, utilizes an accepted accounting system, and has prepared an

annual fiscal audit by a certified public accountant not connected with

the organization; and

(g) can demonstrate that one of its primary purposes is the

improvement of the relationships among groups of different cultural,

economic, religious, and social groups in the community through a

variety of individual, group, and inter-group activities.

2. "Program services" may include, but are not limited to, several of

the following services:

(a) early childhood services, including child care, child development

services, early child education and health information and referral for

pre-school children;

(b) youth services, including teen centers and school-age programs

which provide recreation, homework assistance, preparation for

employment, counseling and meals;

(c) education programs, including remedial education, tutoring,

homework assistance and English language training;

(d) family programs, including home management, homemaker services,

parenting skills training, teen parent services and programs for

seniors;

(e) child welfare services including foster care and preventive

services;

(f) employment programs, including summer youth employment apprentice

programs, job training programs, and displaced homemaker programs;

(g) mental health services, including psychological and, where

appropriate, psychiatric group and individual evaluation and counseling;

(h) housing assistance.