New York Assembly Bill A04878 Latest Draft

   
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4878--A 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 7, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. TAPIA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the establishment of mental health clubhouses The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 2 29-L to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 29-L 4 MENTAL HEALTH CLUBHOUSES 5 Section 2999-nn. Definitions. 6 2999-oo. Mental health clubhouses; establishment. 7 2999-pp. Operational standards and core services. 8 2999-qq. Oversight, compliance, and reporting. 9 § 2999-nn. Definitions. For the purposes of this article, the term 10 "mental health clubhouse" or "clubhouse" means a facility that: 11 1. is accredited or is in the process of becoming accredited, by a 12 recognized body or bodies approved by the office of mental health; 13 2. addresses psychosocial deficits and social drivers of health; 14 3. uses a therapeutic approach that emphasizes purposeful work, 15 engagement, relationship development, and mutual support for people with 16 serious mental illness; 17 4. uses blended leadership of professional mental health staff and 18 individuals with lived experience to create and manage the therapeutic 19 community and its services in a nonclinical setting; 20 5. offers members a community-based rehabilitative environment that 21 both addresses often unmet psychosocial needs of people living with 22 serious mental illness and provides structures that offer support in 23 natural, community environments; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD08603-02-5 
 A. 4878--A 2 1 6. offers support services for employment, education, health care, 2 housing, and more to broadly address health-related social care needs; 3 7. is an essential part of the continuum of care and works in tandem 4 with other medical and behavioral health services; 5 8. relies on the restorative power of work and work-mediated relation- 6 ships to build a firm foundation for growth and individual achievement 7 for members; 8 9. emphasizes strengths-based teamwork and opportunities to contribute 9 to operations through a work-ordered day; and 10 10. offers naturalistic social and community-based recreational oppor- 11 tunities to contribute to a member's path and success in recovery. 12 § 2999-oo. Mental health clubhouses; establishment. 1. Clubhouses 13 shall be established within reasonable proximity to public transporta- 14 tion. In rural areas, virtual clubhouse programming shall be imple- 15 mented to ensure accessibility. 16 2. The department and the office of mental health shall develop a 17 statewide implementation plan through technical advising and consulta- 18 tion with established clubhouses for the provisions of this article 19 within one year of the effective date of this article. 20 § 2999-pp. Operational standards and core services. 1. Membership of 21 clubhouses shall be voluntary, free of cost, and open to any individual 22 with a history of serious mental illness. 23 2. Clubhouses shall receive accreditation or be in the process of 24 becoming accredited within the first three years of operation by a 25 recognized body. 26 § 2999-qq. Oversight, compliance, and reporting. 1. Each clubhouse 27 shall submit a comprehensive report to the department and the office of 28 mental health detailing: 29 (a) clubhouse active membership statistics and daily service utiliza- 30 tion; 31 (b) employment placements and workforce development outcomes; 32 (c) housing placements and homelessness prevention efforts; and 33 (d) crisis intervention cases and emergency responses. 34 2. The department shall conduct biennial audits of all clubhouses to 35 ensure compliance with state regulations. 36 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.