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