§ 36.07 — Behavioral health crisis technical assistance center

New York § 36.07

• Jurisdiction: New York
• Law MHY: Mental Hygiene
• Title E: General Provisions
• Art. 36: Addiction and Mental Health Services and Supports

Text

§ 36.07 Behavioral health crisis technical assistance center.\n (a) The commissioner, in conjunction with the commissioner of the\noffice of addiction services and supports, shall establish a behavioral\nhealth crisis technical assistance center within the office of mental\nhealth. The commissioners shall jointly be responsible for the\nstructure and operation of the behavioral health crisis technical\nassistance center.\n (b) The behavioral health crisis technical assistance center, shall:\n 1. develop standardized protocols and procedures for a community-based\npublic health-led response to behavioral health crises. The protocols\nand procedures shall be designed to:\n (i) de-escalate situations involving individuals experiencing a mental\nhealth or substance use crisis, when possible;\n (ii) utilize the most appropriate treatment for individuals\nexperiencing a mental health or substance use crisis;\n (iii) maximize the use of voluntary assessment and voluntary referral\nof individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis;\n (iv) minimize physical harm and trauma for individuals who experience\na mental health or substance use crisis; and\n (v) deliver culturally competent care;\n 2. assist local government units in the development of local service\nplans that address their local crisis service needs and implements a\ncommunity-based public health-led crisis response. Such assistance shall\ninclude tailoring such plans to meet the needs of urban, suburban, and\nrural communities;\n 3. support implementation of standardized procedures and protocols;\n 4. in collaboration with the division of homeland security and\nemergency services and the state emergency medical services council,\npursue efforts to improve coordination between the 9-1-1, 9-8-8, local\ngovernment units, and statewide emergency response systems;\n 5. provide consultation and training to local government units and\nlocal crisis response teams on best practices on the assessment and\nresponse to mental health and substance use crises; and\n 6. maintain a database of best practices for a community-based public\nhealth-led response to behavioral health crises.\n (c) In execution of its duties under this section, the technical\nassistance center shall employ a peer or peers with lived experience and\nshall consult with, as appropriate: peers with lived experience of\nmental illness or substance use disorders, or family of such peers\nand/or peer-led organizations; licensed mental health or addiction\nclinicians; licensed mental health or addiction counselors; licensed\nphysicians, nurses, or mental health or addiction providers; mental\nhealth or addiction counselors; representatives of not-for-profit\ndisability justice organizations; emergency medical technicians; and\ncrisis health care workers.\n (d) 1. The center shall prepare an annual report which shall include,\nbut not be limited to, the following information:\n (i) data on the extent to which local governmental units have\nimplemented community-based public health-led responses to behavioral\nhealth crises and the effectiveness of such efforts;\n (ii) a summary of any assistance provided, action taken, or progress\nmade in relation to the duties required under this section;\n (iii) recommendations to improve the operation and financing of a\nbehavioral health crisis response system; and\n (iv) any other information deemed relevant by the center.\n 2. Such report shall be submitted to the governor, speaker of the\nassembly and temporary president of the senate no later than December\nthirty-first, two thousand twenty-seven and annually thereafter and\nshall be made available on the official agency website for the office of\nmental health and the office of addiction services and supports.\n