BILL NUMBER: S9237
SPONSOR: RIVERA
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to the definition of
family for purposes of services provided by voluntary foster care agency
health facilities
 
PURPOSE:
This bill would expand the authority of Article 29-I facilities to
provide services to the family members of children and youth in foster
care already receiving services from the clinic.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends subdivision 1 of section 2999-gg of the Public Health
Law as it relates to voluntary foster care agency health facilities, to
authorize Article 29-I clinics to provide services to youth in foster
care, their families and other families receiving child welfare services
from the authorized agency or the local departments of social services.
Section 2 provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Voluntary Foster Care Agencies (VFCAs) play a critical role in meeting
the complex needs of children, youth, and families involved in the child
welfare system. These agencies provide a broad range of support, includ-
ing trauma-informed medical and behavioral health care for children and
youth in foster care, through Article 29-I licensed clinic settings.
VFCAs also work collaboratively toward achieving permanency for children
in care by engaging with birth parents, foster parents, and extended kin
networks. Through these interactions, staff frequently become aware of
the clinical or behavioral health needs affecting the entire family
system.
However, access to care for these families is often hindered by frag-
mented State service systems and the limited availability of community-
based resources. Expanding VFCA authority under Article 29-I to provide
clinical services to family members of children and youth in foster care
(when appropriate and within available capacity) would support family
stability by addressing conditions that may compromise the safety and
well-being of the home environment; reduce out-of-home care durations by
strengthening family functioning; and promote holistic family wellness
through improved service coordination.
Such an expansion would also help alleviate pressure on other public
systems and enhance the State's overall capacity for mental and behav-
ioral health service delivery. Under this proposal, VFCAs would only be
authorized to provide and bill for Article 29-I services that fall with-
in their existing licensure and are deemed medically necessary for a
family member's treatment. All practitioners would operate strictly
within their respective scopes of practice. The provision of services to
this expanded population would remain voluntary, and children and youth
in foster care would continue to have priority in accessing Article 29-I
health services.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New legislation
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect six months after it shall become a law.

Statutes affected:
S9237: 2999-gg public health law, 2999-gg(1) public health law