BILL NUMBER: S10682
SPONSOR: BOTTCHER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing
multidisciplinary personnel teams
 
PURPORSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To establish multidisciplinary teams to identify, assess, and link home-
less individuals and families to housing and supportive services.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill amends article three of the social services law
by adding a new Title 7-A to set definitions, authorize the establish-
ment of multidisciplinary personnel teams, and allow for and set proto-
cols for sharing confidential information within the team for purposes
of identification, assessment, and linkage of homeless individuals and
families to housing and supportive services.
Section two of the bill sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The homelessness crisis affects communities all across the state, with
multiple layers of outreach provided from various levels of government
and non-governmental providers. One of the most consistent issues faced
by those seeking to connect homeless individuals to services is overlap-
ping and duplicative work and a lack of information sharing.
This legislation would allow for the establishment of multidisciplinary
teams which could include health professionals, law enforcement, legal
counsel, social service workers, case managers or coordinators, veteran
service providers, domestic violence organizations, school personnel,
housing and homeless services representatives, and data analysts. This
legislation would also authorize any member of a multidisciplinary
personnel team to disclose and exchange confidential information with
other team members for purposes of identification, assessment, and link-
age of homeless individuals and families to housing and supportive
services.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.