§ 2509-D — Veterans reproductive mental health care

§ 2509-d. Veterans reproductive mental health care. 1. As used in this\nsection:\n (a) "Maternal health care provider" means a physician, midwife, nurse\npractitioner, physician assistant, or other health care practitioner\nacting within their lawful scope of practice, attending a pregnant\nveteran or a veteran up to one year after childbirth, including a\npractitioner attending the veteran's child up to one year after\nchildbirth.\n (b) "Women veterans coordinator" shall mean the women veterans\ncoordinator appointed pursuant to section nineteen of the veterans'\nservices law.\n (c) "Veteran" shall have the same meaning as such term is defined in\nsection one of the veterans' services law and shall also include a\nveteran who has a qualifying condition, as defined in section one of the\nveterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad\nconduct or dishonorable from such service, or is a discharged LGBT\nveteran, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and\nhas received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from\nsuch service.\n 2. (a) The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of\nmental health and the women veterans coordinator, shall make available\nto maternal health care providers information on veterans reproductive\nmental health care. The information shall include, but not be limited\nto:\n (i) the importance of identifying whether a patient has served in the\nmilitary in providing adequate maternal health care to veterans;\n (ii) ensuring that all pregnant veteran patients are appropriately\nscreened for depression, intimate partner/domestic violence, military\nsexual trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, substance abuse,\nand postpartum depression;\n (iii) a summary of the current evidence-based and professional\nguidelines for the screening of conditions listed in subparagraph (ii)\nof this paragraph;\n (iv) validated, evidence-based tools for screening the conditions\nlisted in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph; and\n (v) information about follow-up support for patients who may require\nfurther evaluation, referral, or treatment including, when available,\ninformation about specific community resources and entities licensed by\nthe office of mental health.\n (b) The information on veterans reproductive mental health care shall\nbe posted on the department's website. The commissioner shall, in\ncollaboration with the commissioner of mental health and the women\nveterans coordinator, update and review the information on veterans\nreproductive mental health, as necessary.\n 3. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of mental\nhealth and the women veterans coordinator, shall: (a) inform providers\nof the need to raise awareness about veterans reproductive mental health\nissues; and (b) provide information on the department and the office of\nmental health's websites regarding how to locate available providers who\ntreat or provide support for veterans reproductive mental health issues\nincluding maternal depression including but not limited to, mental\nhealth professionals, other licensed professionals, peer support,\nnot-for-profit corporations and other community resources.\n 4. The commissioner, in consultation with the women veterans\ncoordinator, shall make any regulations necessary to implement this\nsection.\n