2023 New York Laws › EXC - Executive › Article 19-H - Runaway and Homeless Youth Act of Nineteen Hundred Seventy-Eight › 532-D - Residential Transitional Independent Living Support Programs.

§ 532-d. Residential transitional independent living support programs.
Notwithstanding   any   inconsistent   provision  of  law,  pursuant  to
regulations of the office of children and family  services,  residential
facilities operating as transitional independent living support programs
are authorized to and shall:
1.  (a)  (i)  provide  shelter  to homeless youth who are at least age
sixteen.
(ii) Provided, however, that shelter may be  provided  to  a  homeless
youth  under  the  age  of  sixteen if the municipality has notified the
office of children and family services in accordance with clause (iv) of
subparagraph three of paragraph a of subdivision  two  of  section  four
hundred twenty of this chapter.
(b)  Shelter  may  be  provided  to a homeless youth in a transitional
independent living program for a period of up to eighteen months, or  up
to  twenty-four  months when authorized in the applicable municipality's
approved comprehensive plan;
(c) A homeless youth who entered  a  transitional  independent  living
program  under  the  age  of  twenty-one may continue to receive shelter
services in such program beyond  the  applicable  period  authorized  by
paragraph  (b) of this subdivision, if the municipality has notified the
office of children and family services in accordance with clause (iv) of
subparagraph three of paragraph a of subdivision  two  of  section  four
hundred twenty of this chapter;
2.  work  toward reuniting such homeless youth with his or her parent,
guardian or custodian, where possible;
3. provide or assist in securing necessary services for such  homeless
youth,  and  where  appropriate,  his  or  her family, including but not
limited to housing, educational, medical care, legal, mental health, and
substance and alcohol abuse services. Where such program concludes  that
such  homeless  youth would be eligible for assistance, care or services
from a local social services district, it shall  assist  such  youth  in
securing such assistance, care or services;
4.  for  a  homeless  youth  whose  service  plan involves independent
living, provide practical assistance in achieving  independence,  either
through  direct provision of services or through written agreements with
other community and public agencies for the provision of services in the
following areas;  high  school  education  or  high  school  equivalency
education;  higher education assessment; job training and job placement;
counseling; assistance  in  the  development  of  socialization  skills;
guidance  and  assistance  in  securing housing appropriate to needs and
income;  and  training  in  the  development  of  skills  necessary  for
responsible  independent  living, including but not limited to money and
home management, personal care, and health maintenance; and
5.  provide  residential  services  to  a  youth  in  need  of  crisis
intervention or respite services, as defined in this article;
6.  continue  to  provide  services to a homeless youth who is not yet
eighteen years of age but  who  has  reached  the  maximum  time  period
provided  by  paragraph (b) of subdivision one of this section, until he
or she is eighteen years of age or for an additional six months if he or
she is still under the age of eighteen; and
7. contact the appropriate local social services  district  if  it  is
believed  that  the  youth  may  be  a  destitute child, as such term is
defined in section one thousand ninety-two of the family court act.  The
office  of  children  and  family  services  shall  provide  appropriate
guidance to the  residential  transitional  independent  living  support
program  on  how  to accurately identify a youth that may be a destitute
child;
8. provide information  to  eligible  youth  about  their  ability  to
re-enter  foster  care  in  accordance  with article ten-B of the family
court act, and in appropriate cases, refer any such  youth  who  may  be
interested  in  re-entering  foster  care to the applicable local social
services  district.  The  office  of  children and family services shall
provide the residential transitional independent living support  program
with  the  appropriate  educational  materials to give to eligible youth
regarding their ability to re-enter foster care. The office of  children
and  family  services  shall  also  provide  appropriate guidance to the
residential transitional independent living support program  on  how  to
accurately  identify  youth that may be eligible to re-enter foster care
and how to refer such youth to  the  applicable  local  social  services
district if appropriate; and
9.  provide  such  reports  and  data  as  specified  by the office of
children and family services.