BILL NUMBER: S2396
SPONSOR: PERSAUD
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to creating case-
load standards for adult protective services workers
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of this bill amends section 20-a of the Social Services Law
to provide that such section will not apply to any regulations estab-
lishing caseload standards.
Section two of this bill amends section 421 of the Social Services Law
by adding a new subdivision to create caseload standards for adult
protective services, which shall be no more twenty initial investi-
gations at any given time, or more than thirty ongoing cases at any
given time, or a total caseload of more than thirty cases.
Section three of this bill amends adds a new section to article 9-B of
the Social Services Law to require the annual reporting of adult protec-
tive services statistics, including the average number of active cases
per worker in the preceding year.
Section four requires reporting on APS to be included in the annual OCFS
report to the Governor and State Legislature.
Section five sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
In 1994, the New York State Social Services Agency, from which the
Office of Children and Family Services was created, published a workload
report establishing numerical caseload recommendations for Adult Protec-
tive Services (APS) workers. The results of this study yielded recom-
mended caseload standards of 20 investigation cases, 30 ongoing cases,
or 20-30 combined cases.
More recently, the National Adult Protective Services Association
(NAPSA), set caseload standards that are in line with New York's stand-
ards. Suggesting that New York's 1994 caseload recommendations are still
relevant.
Both NAPSA and the Administration of Community Living assert that a
limit on APS caseloads must exist to ensure delivery of comprehensive
APS services. This bill codifies these caseload limits.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, sections one
and two of this act shall take effect two years after it shall have
become a law.

Statutes affected:
S2396: 20-a social services law, 421 social services law, 17 social services law