New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 14 - DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HYGIENE › Appendices › Appendix 9

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
1. Halfway houses
			 are subject to the administrative jurisdiction of the commissioner under
			 section 424(5) (a) and (b) of the New York State Mental Hygiene Law. Further,
			 insofar as halfway houses receive or plan to receive State aid under the
			 Community Mental Health Services Act. They are subject to any additional rules
			 and regulations of the commissioner which are promulgated under article 8-A of
			 the Mental Hygiene Law.
2. Among
			 the range of treatment services applicable to residents of halfway houses are
			 group therapy, social work casework and counseling recreational and social
			 rehabilitation and vocational rehabilitation. While most of these services will
			 be procured in the community, a halfway house may provide more elements of
			 these services within the halfway house. Regardless of whether these services
			 are provided in the halfway house or in the community, they must meet
			 acceptable professional standards. If any of the above services are part of the
			 halfway house program, the following definitions apply:
Milieu therapy is treatment in which the total environment,
				that is, the physical surroundings, equipment and staff attitudes are, woven
				together in such a way as to enhance the effectiveness of other therapies and
				to encourage the resident's rehabilitation.
Group therapy is the application of psychotherapeutic
				techniques, under trained leadership, to a group including the interactions of
				members of the group.
Social work counseling and casework utilize the conscious
				adaptive capacities of individuals, their families and related groups, as well
				as those of community resources, in order to improve the adjustment of the
				person to his environment or the environment to the individual.
Recreational and social rehabilitation provide opportunities
				for residents to socialize with others, both inside and outside of the halfway
				house, as well as to participate in activities involving two or more persons.
				Residents may participate in the planning of social events and assist with
				necessary preparation.
Vocational rehabilitation is that aspect of therapy which deals
				with a systematic sequence of testing, counseling and training in relation to a
				specific occupational job or objective. Also included is assistance with
				adjustment to a work environment and the development of appropriate patterns of
				behavior in a work situation both inside and outside of the halfway
				house.
3. The following
			 certifications are required (if applicable) in relation to premises:
certification from the fire department that the premises are
				fire-safe;
certification from the building department that the building is
				in safe repair for the purposes of the program;
written indication from the zoning authority that the halfway
				house is in the proper zone;
certificate of occupancy from the building department that the
				premises may be used for a halfway house program unless it is in a municipal
				building in which case this requirement is waived;
written approval from the multiple dwelling authority that the
				premises may be used by more than four persons who are not members of the same
				family, if this is required by local ordinances;
written approvals by the health and sanitation departments if
				food is prepared on the premises.
4. Discharge policies shall take the
			 following into consideration:
resident has recovered sufficiently to return to his
				home;
resident has improved to the point where another facility in
				the community can better serve his needs;
resident has reached the maximum allowable stay;
the resident's needs cannot be met by the program of the
				halfway house and another community program seems more suitable;
the resident is unresponsive to the program and requires more
				intensive stimulation and care than the halfway house is equipped to
				give;
gross lack of cooperation with the program, rules and
				procedures of the halfway house on the part of a resident;
other situations not covered by the above.