§ 3607 — Grants for expansion of services

§ 3607. Grants for expansion of services. 1. The commissioner is\nhereby authorized, within the amount allocated pursuant to subdivisions\none, two and three of section thirty-six hundred fifteen of this\narticle, to make grants to certified public and voluntary non-profit\nhome health agencies for the purpose of increasing the availability of\nhome health care services. Such grants shall be utilized to increase the\nnumber of persons provided services, the kind of services provided,\nincluding medical, social and environmental services, the sharing of\nservices or to improve or expand the method or frequency of the delivery\nof home health care services. Grant applications shall include specific\nplans to provide the following:\n a. an expansion of the types of services made available to persons at\nhome as provided for in subdivision two of section thirty-six hundred\ntwo of this chapter;\n b. an increase in the number of persons provided home care services by\nthe certified home health agency, directly or through contractual\narrangement, or to provide for the availability of certified home health\nagency services on a seven-day-a-week basis;\n c. the development of training programs approved by the commissioner\nto improve the quality of services provided by the certified home health\nagency;\n d. the development of programs to coordinate the work of the certified\nhome health agency with other community resources, including but not\nlimited to other certified home health agencies, hospitals, and social\nservices agencies;\n e. demonstration projects to provide care in the home by using\nmethods, programs, or arrangements not ordinarily used by certified home\nhealth agencies, and that will help to determine the most appropriate\nmeans of reducing institutional care and of providing better quality\nhome care services, most cost-effective home care services, and more\naccessible home care services;\n f. the development of programs to improve home care patients' access\nto primary health services; or\n g. the development of "home care volunteer programs for maternal and\nchild health" pursuant to subdivision two of this section.\n 2. a. For purposes of this section, "home care volunteer program for\nmaternal and child health" shall mean a program developed, coordinated\nand provided by a certified home health agency for purposes of assisting\npregnant women and children. Such assistance shall include but not be\nlimited to: guidance in self care related to prenatal care and post\npartum care such as information concerning proper nutrition, exercise,\nhygiene, drug, tobacco and alcohol use, and breast feeding; guidance in\ninfant care; friendly visiting; and telephone reassurance. Such\nassistance may also include home maintenance, child care and shopping.\nAdditional services which the agency may provide in conjunction with the\nprogram shall include nursing, social work, home health aide and other\napproved agency services necessary to serve this population.\n b. In providing such program, a certified home health agency shall\nutilize volunteers, especially women who have had children and who are\nwilling and able to provide non-medical assistance to women for prenatal\ncare and infant care.\n c. The certified home health agency shall recruit, train and supervise\nvolunteers for the program and shall assure that such volunteers are\ncompetent to perform the required tasks and are suited to the client.\nThe agency shall designate a person responsible for management of the\nprogram.\n d. Certified home health agencies which provide home care volunteer\nprograms for maternal and child health shall establish provisions for\nreferral and case coordination with prenatal care providers as defined\nin section three hundred sixty-five-k of the social services law.\n 3. A public or voluntary non-profit certified home health agency may\nmake application for such grant in the manner and form prescribed by the\ncommissioner. Grant applications may be made for up to a three-year\nperiod; however, grant awards shall be for one-year periods, subject to\nannual renewal upon approval by the commissioner.\n 4. A grant amount available under this program shall not exceed the\ntotal cost of providing the additional services, as specified in the\napplication, less any income from governmental, third party or any other\nsources accruing as a result of the provision of such additional\nservices. Grants may not be used for agency capital construction\npurposes. The initial grant and first year renewal may be no more than\none hundred percent of the net cost of providing such additional\nservices. Any grants provided for a third year shall be no more than\nseventy-five percent of the initial year's grant. No grant shall exceed\none hundred thousand dollars per annum.\n 5. A grantee must certify to the commissioner that all available\nreimbursement for services has been and will be sought. To be eligible\nfor a renewal grant, the level and amount of services provided during\nany previous grant period may not be decreased without the prior\napproval of the commissioner, and the grantee shall identify and certify\nthat sufficient funds are available to maintain previous levels and\namounts of service.\n 6. In awarding grants pursuant to this section, the commissioner and\nthe advisory group established pursuant to subdivision six of section\nthirty-six hundred fifteen of this article shall take into\nconsideration, in relation to the area served, the following factors:\nthe number of patients awaiting discharge from hospitals or residential\nhealth care facilities for whom home care services are appropriate, the\nproportion of patients inappropriately placed in hospitals and\nresidential health care facilities who could be served by in-home care,\nthe scope, quantity and accessibility of currently available home health\nservices, the ability of the agency to continue the expanded services\nupon expiration of the grant, and such other factors as the commissioner\nmay determine are relevant to the public need for home health services.\n 7. In addition to the requirements of this section, the commissioner\nshall approve grant applications in accordance with the provisions of\nsubdivisions five, six and seven of section thirty-six hundred fifteen\nof this article.\n 8. Funds for such grants shall be made available pursuant to the\nfunding formula and allocations provided in subdivisions one, two and\nthree of section thirty-six hundred fifteen of this article.\n 9. The commissioner, shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary\nto administer this section.\n