2023 New York Laws › MHY - Mental Hygiene › Title B - Mental Health Act › Article 7 - Office of Mental Health › 7.07 - Office of Mental Health; Scope of Responsibilities.

§ 7.07 Office of mental health; scope of responsibilities.
(a) The office of mental health is charged with the responsibility for
assuring  the development of comprehensive plans, programs, and services
in  the  areas   of   research,   prevention,   and   care,   treatment,
rehabilitation, education, and training of the mentally ill. Such plans,
programs,  and  services  shall  be  developed by the cooperation of the
office, the other offices of the  department  where  appropriate,  local
governments,  consumers  and  community  organizations and agencies. The
office shall provide appropriate facilities and encourage the  provision
of  facilities  by  local  government  and  community  organizations and
agencies.
(b) The office of mental health shall advise and assist  the  governor
in  developing  policies  designed to meet the needs of the mentally ill
and to encourage their full participation in society.
(c) The office of mental health  shall  have  the  responsibility  for
seeing  that  mentally ill persons are provided with care and treatment,
that such care, treatment and rehabilitation  is  of  high  quality  and
effectiveness,  and  that  the  personal  and  civil  rights  of persons
receiving care, treatment and rehabilitation are adequately protected.
(d) The office of mental health shall foster programs for the training
and development of persons capable of providing the foregoing services.
(e) Consistent with the requirements of  subdivision  (b)  of  section
5.05  of  this  chapter,  the  office  shall carry out the provisions of
article thirty-one as such article pertains to  regulation  and  quality
control of services for the mentally ill.
(f)  The  office  shall establish, and provide technical and financial
support   to   establish   two   programs   promoting   culturally   and
linguistically  competent mental health services. Such programs shall be
operated in a collaborative manner with the Nathan  S.  Kline  Institute
for  Psychiatric  Research,  the  New  York State Psychiatric Institute,
academia, mental health care providers, communities  interested  in  the
mentally ill and other interested private and public sector parties. The
programs,  in  consultation  with  the  office's  multicultural advisory
committee, shall investigate  and  report,  to  the  commissioner  on  a
biannual  basis recommendations as to best practices for the delivery of
culturally  and  linguistically  competent  mental  health  services  to
underserved   populations  affected  by  disparities  due  to  cultural,
linguistic and systemic barriers.
(g) The office of mental health  shall  have  the  responsibility  for
assuring  the  development of plans, programs, and services in the areas
of research and prevention of suicide, to reduce suicidal  behavior  and
suicide through consultation, training, implementation of evidence-based
practices,  and  use of suicide surveillance data. Such plans, programs,
and services shall consider the unique needs  of  differing  demographic
groups  and  the  impact of gender, race and ethnicity, and cultural and
language needs. Such plans, programs, and services shall be developed in
cooperation with other agencies and  departments  of  the  state,  local
governments,    community   organizations   and   entities,   or   other
organizations and individuals. The office shall  prepare  and  submit  a
written  report  to  the  governor,  the  speaker  of  the assembly, and
temporary president of the senate that sets forth the  progress  of  the
office  in  the  development  of  such  plans, programs, and services by
December first, two thousand nineteen,  and  biennially  thereafter.  In
addition  to  delineating  the progress the office has made, such report
shall also include information on specific suicide  prevention  services
and  program  initiatives developed and implemented to address the needs
of high risk minority groups or special populations, including  but  not
limited  to  latina  and  latino  adolescents,  black youth, individuals

residing in rural communities, veterans, members of  the  lesbian,  gay,
bisexual and transgender community, and any other group deemed high risk
or underserved by the office.
(h)  The  office shall periodically review suicide prevention programs
established, licensed, certified, or funded by the office to ensure that
the needs of individuals at risk of  suicide  are  being  met  and  make
recommendations to improve such programs, which shall include but not be
limited  to:  (1)  cultural  and  linguistic  competency;  and  (2) best
practices for screening and interventions aimed  at  addressing  suicide
risk factors for minority groups and other underrepresented populations.