§ 532-B — Powers and duties of runaway and homeless youth crisis services programs

New York § 532-B

• Jurisdiction: New York
• Law EXC: Executive
• Art. 19-H: Runaway and Homeless Youth Act of Nineteen Hundred Seventy-eight

Text

§ 532-b. Powers and duties of runaway and homeless youth crisis\nservices programs. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,\npursuant to regulations of the office of children and family services a\nrunaway and homeless youth crisis services program is authorized to and\nshall:\n (a) provide assistance to any runaway or homeless youth or youth in\nneed of crisis intervention or respite services as defined in this\narticle;\n (b) attempt to determine the cause for the youth's runaway or homeless\nstatus;\n (c) explain to the runaway or homeless youth his or her legal rights\nand options of service or other assistance available to the youth;\n (d) work towards reuniting such youth with his or her parent or\nguardian as soon as practicable in accordance with section five hundred\nthirty-two-c of this article;\n (e) assist in arranging for necessary services for runaway or homeless\nyouth, and where appropriate, their families, including but not limited\nto food, shelter, clothing, medical care, education and individual and\nfamily counseling. Where the runaway and homeless youth crisis services\nprogram concludes that such runaway or homeless youth would be eligible\nfor assistance, care or services from a local social services district,\nit shall assist the youth in securing such assistance, care or services\nas the youth is entitled to;\n (f) immediately report to the statewide central register of child\nabuse and maltreatment or vulnerable persons' central register, as\nappropriate, where it has reasonable cause to suspect that the runaway\nor homeless youth has been abused or neglected or when such youth\nmaintains such to be the case;\n (g) contact the appropriate local social services district if it is\nbelieved that the youth may be a destitute child, as such term is\ndefined in section one thousand ninety-two of the family court act. The\noffice of children and family services shall provide appropriate\nguidance to the runaway and homeless youth crisis services program on\nhow to accurately identify a youth that may be a destitute child; and\n (h) provide information to eligible youth about their ability to\nre-enter foster care in accordance with article ten-B of the family\ncourt act, and in appropriate cases, refer any such youth who may be\ninterested in re-entering foster care to the applicable local social\nservices district. The office of children and family services shall\nprovide the runaway and homeless youth crisis services program with the\nappropriate educational materials to give to eligible youth regarding\ntheir ability to re-enter foster care. The office of children and family\nservices shall also provide appropriate guidance to the runaway and\nhomeless youth crisis services program on how to accurately identify\nyouth that may be eligible to re-enter foster care and how to refer such\nyouth to the applicable local social services district if appropriate.\n 2. (a) A runaway youth may remain in a certified residential runaway\nand homeless youth crisis services program on a voluntary basis for a\nperiod not to exceed thirty days, or for a youth age fourteen or older\nfor a period up to sixty days when authorized in the applicable\nmunicipality's approved comprehensive plan, from the date of admission\nwhere the filing of a petition pursuant to article ten of the family\ncourt act is not contemplated, in order that arrangements can be made\nfor the runaway youth's return home, alternative residential placement\npursuant to section three hundred ninety-eight of the social services\nlaw, or any other suitable plan.\n (b) If the runaway youth and the parent, guardian or custodian agree\nin writing, the runaway youth may remain in such program up to sixty\ndays, or up to one hundred twenty days when authorized in the applicable\nmunicipality's approved county comprehensive plan, without the filing of\na petition pursuant to article ten of the family court act, provided\nthat in any such case the facility shall first have obtained the\napproval of the applicable municipal runaway and homeless youth services\ncoordinator, who shall notify the municipality's youth bureau of his or\nher approval together with a statement as to the reason why such\nadditional residential stay is necessary and a description of the\nefforts being made to find suitable alternative living arrangements for\nsuch youth.\n (c) A runaway youth may remain in a certified residential runaway and\nhomeless youth crisis services program beyond the applicable period\nauthorized by paragraph (a) or (b) of this subdivision, if the\nmunicipality has notified the office of children and family services in\naccordance with clause (iv) of subparagraph three of paragraph a of\nsubdivision two of section four hundred twenty of this chapter.\n