New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 18 - DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES › Chapter II - Regulations of the Department of Social Services › Subchapter D - Adult-Care Facilities › Part 491 - Shelters For Adults › Section 491.9 - Referrals and assessments

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
(a)
Referrals.
Any homeless adult who applies to a social services
			 district for temporary housing assistance may be considered for referral to a
			 shelter for adults or a small-capacity shelter; and, any homeless adult family
			 that applies to a social services district for temporary housing assistance may
			 be considered for referral to a shelter for adult families. A homeless adult
			 family may not be referred to a shelter for adults or a small-capacity shelter
			 unless the family can be provided with an individual room with a door
			 containing a working door lock and with the minimum square footage per family
			 member as required by the applicable State or local regulation or
			 code.
(b)
Assessments.
(1) When an
		    individual adult or adult family applies for temporary housing assistance, the
		    social services district or the social services district's designee shall
		    commence to evaluate the adult or adult family to assess the individual adult's
		    or the adult family's housing and housing-related public assistance and care
		    needs pursuant to section
		    352.35 
		    of this Title, and the suitability of the individual adult or adult family for
		    placement in a shelter, by the end of the next business day. The assessment
		    shall be completed by the social services district or its designee as soon as
		    possible thereafter.
(2) An
		    individual or adult family must cooperate in and complete an assessment. When
		    an individual or family fails to cooperate in and complete the assessment, the
		    social services district must deny the individual's or family's application for
		    temporary housing assistance unless non-compliance is due to a physical or
		    mental impairment. When such a physical or mental impairment appears to be
		    present and interfering with an individual's ability to cooperate in and
		    complete an assessment, the social services district must refer the individual
		    or the family member with the apparent physical or mental impairment for an
		    evaluation by an appropriate professional. When an individual states that they
		    have a physical or mental impairment that interferes with their compliance,
		    they must provide documentation of this impairment, unless the physical or
		    mental impairment is known or apparent to shelter or intake staff, in which
		    case the individual shall not be required to provide documentation of the
		    physical or mental impairment. If they do not have such documentation and
		    cannot obtain it with or without the assistance of the social services
		    district, the social services district may refer the individual to an
		    appropriate qualified professional for an evaluation and/or for such
		    documentation. The social services district also may refer the individual to an
		    appropriate qualified professional for an independent medical examination if
		    the social services district believes additional information is necessary to
		    confirm that the individual has a physical or mental impairment that is
		    interfering with their ability to cooperate in and complete an
		    assessment.