§ 481-C — Definitions

§ 481-c. Definitions. As used in this article:\n 1. "Domestic violence" shall mean any crime or violation, as defined\nin the penal law, which has been alleged to have been committed by any\nfamily or household member against any member of the same family or\nhousehold.\n 2. "Family or household members" shall mean persons related by\nconsanguinity or affinity or unrelated persons who are continually or at\nregular intervals living or in the past continually or at regular\nintervals lived in the same household, including victims and persons\naccused of having committed acts of domestic violence.\n 3. "Child abuse and maltreatment" shall have the same meaning as\nprovided for in section four hundred twelve of this chapter.\n 4. "Public agency" shall mean a local office, board, department,\nbureau, commission, division, agency, other instrumentality of local\ngovernment, or public or private educational institution.\n 5. "Family violence" shall mean any act which would constitute\ndomestic violence as defined in subdivision one of this section or any\nact which would constitute child abuse and maltreatment as defined in\nsubdivision three of this section.\n 6. "Primary prevention" shall mean strengthening family functioning to\ninsure that family violence never takes place or is less likely to\noccur. Primary prevention shall include: educating family or household\nmembers or prospective parents in order to avoid patterns which can lead\nto family violence; increasing in-home services to new and prospective\nparents; strengthening the relationships among community resources,\nchild protective service units and citizen groups to promote and\nencourage the development of family violence prevention programs;\nincreasing the awareness of professionals and the public to the effects\nof stress, social isolation and the lack of social and parenting skills\nfor the purpose of making available programs deemed helpful for children\nand adults; and any other program deemed helpful in the primary\nprevention of family violence.\n 7. "Secondary prevention" shall mean addressing the early signs of\nfamily violence or risk of family violence through treatment of\npresenting problems to prevent further problems from developing.\nSecondary prevention shall include: providing supportive services and\ntemporary shelter to family or household members who are considered at\nrisk of family violence; strengthening self-help groups composed of\nindividuals with a history of or at risk of family violence; increasing\nin-home services to families at risk of violence; promoting and\nencouraging the development of community resources for the treatment of,\nand improving the response to family violence; providing information and\nreferral services to resources and/or establishing linkages among\nservices which are in the community; and any other program deemed\nhelpful in the treatment of persons at risk of family violence.\n 8. "Family resource and support program" shall mean a community-based,\nprevention focused entity that:\n (a) provides, through direct service, core services, including:\n (1) parent education, support and leadership services, together with\nservices characterized by relationships between parents and\nprofessionals that are based on equality and respect, and designed to\nassist parents in acquiring parenting skills, learning about child\ndevelopment, and responding appropriately to the behavior of their\nchildren;\n (2) services to facilitate the ability of parents to serve as\nresources to one another (such as through mutual support and parent\nself-help groups);\n (3) outreach services provided through voluntary home visits and other\nmethods to assist parents in becoming aware of and able to participate\nin family resources and support program activities;\n (4) community and social services to assist families in obtaining\ncommunity resources; and\n (5) follow-up services;\n (b) provides, or arranges for the provision of, other core services\nthrough contracts or agreements with other local agencies, including all\nforms of respite care services; and\n (c) provides access to optional services, directly or by contract,\npurchase of service, or interagency agreement, including:\n (1) child care, early childhood development and early intervention\nservices;\n (2) referral to self-sufficiency and life management skills training;\n (3) referral to education services, such as scholastic tutoring,\nliteracy training, and general educational degree services;\n (4) referral to services providing job readiness skills;\n (5) child abuse and neglect prevention activities;\n (6) referral to services that families with children with disabilities\nor special needs may require;\n (7) community and social service referral, including early\ndevelopmental screening of children;\n (8) peer counseling;\n (9) referral for substance abuse counseling and treatment; and\n (10) help line services.\n