§ 206. Informal caregiver training.
1.The director is hereby\nauthorized and directed, to the extent appropriations are available\ntherefor, to develop, establish and operate training and technical\nassistance programs, including caregiver resource centers, caregiver\nnetworks, and other support activities, for informal caregivers\nthroughout the state for the purposes of assisting such caregivers and\nimproving the quality of care provided to frail and disabled persons.\nThe director shall also make available and encourage the utilization of\nsuch training programs in consultation with the commissioner of health,\nthe commissioner of the office of children and family services, the\ncommissioner of mental health, and the commissioner of the office for\npeople with developmental disabili
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§ 206. Informal caregiver training. 1. The director is hereby\nauthorized and directed, to the extent appropriations are available\ntherefor, to develop, establish and operate training and technical\nassistance programs, including caregiver resource centers, caregiver\nnetworks, and other support activities, for informal caregivers\nthroughout the state for the purposes of assisting such caregivers and\nimproving the quality of care provided to frail and disabled persons.\nThe director shall also make available and encourage the utilization of\nsuch training programs in consultation with the commissioner of health,\nthe commissioner of the office of children and family services, the\ncommissioner of mental health, and the commissioner of the office for\npeople with developmental disabilities.\n 2. Definitions. For the purposes of this section: (a) "Informal\ncaregiver" shall mean the family member or other natural person who\nnormally provides the daily care or supervision of a frail or disabled\nperson, or any family member or other natural person who contributes to\nand is involved in the caretaking responsibilities for such frail or\ndisabled person. Such informal caregiver may, but need not, reside in\nthe same household as the frail or disabled person.\n (b) "Frail or disabled person" shall mean any person who is unable to\nattend to his or her daily needs without the assistance or regular\nsupervision of an informal caregiver due to mental or physical\nimpairment. Such definition shall not exclude persons under eighteen\nyears of age who suffer from mental or physical impairment.\n (c) "Program" shall mean the program of informal caregiver training\nand technical assistance established by this section.\n (d) "Caregiver resource center" shall mean a project funded pursuant\nto this section which provides services and activities which are\nresponsive to the needs and contracts of informal caregivers in regard\nto their caregiving responsibilities.\n (e) "Caregiver networks" shall mean local coalitions which develop,\ncoordinate, and implement action plans to identify and mobilize\nresources to address the unmet needs of frail and disabled persons and\ntheir caregivers.\n 3. (a) The duties of the director pursuant to this section shall\ninclude, but not be limited to:\n (1) developing and make available or approve a curriculum for informal\ncaregiver training which considers and is easily adapted to an array of\npersonal needs and disabilities, and which is sensitive to ethnic and\ncommunity characteristics;\n (2) providing technical assistance and training to appropriate\norganizations and groups, including caregiver resource centers and\ncaregiver networks, which, in turn, shall provide training and\nassistance to informal caregivers; and\n (3) providing grants to appropriate organizations and groups,\nincluding caregiver resource centers and caregiver networks, to develop\nand make available approved curricula for informal caregiver training as\nwell as disseminate information regarding the curriculum.\n (4) develop guidelines for local area agencies on aging in order to\nprovide the following:\n (i) information and assistance regarding gaining access to available\nservices to assist informal caregivers;\n (ii) resource referrals for informal caregivers regarding\ndecision-making on behalf of the individual receiving care; and\n (iii) counseling referrals for informal caregivers.\n (b) Training and technical assistance shall include, but not be\nlimited to:\n (1) knowledge of major health problems and diseases, mental and\nphysical disabilities, and the aging process;\n (2) practical skills required in providing personal care and support;\n (3) stress awareness and methods of dealing with stress caused by\nproviding care;\n (4) financial management; and\n (5) identification and utilization of available resources, including\nbenefits, entitlements, and other programs and assistance.\n 4. The director shall:\n (a) Promulgate any rules and regulations necessary to carry out the\nprovisions of this section.\n (b) On or before the first day of January every other year, submit a\nreport to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the\nspeaker of the assembly, which shall include, but not be limited to:\n (1) a financial report of the program's operation;\n (2) a profile of persons or groups receiving training and technical\nassistance pursuant to this section; and\n (3) an analysis of the program's success in assisting informal\ncaregivers and improving the quality of care provided by such persons.\n