Int 0652-2024

Be it enacted by the Council as follows: Section 1. Mental health services for children returned home after removal. a. Definitions. For purposes of this local law, the following terms have the following meanings: ACS. The term "ACS" means the administration for children's services, or any successor agency charged with operating the city of New York's child welfare system. Removal. The term "removal" means the temporary removal of a child from their home pursuant to Article 10 of the family court act. Mental health services. The term "mental health services" means in-person or telehealth services including, but not limited to: (i) providing psychotherapy services; (ii) providing psychiatric assessments to diagnose mental illness, conduct diagnosis follow-up, or coordinate clinical treatment plans; (iii) liaising with or providing referrals to emergency medical or psychiatric care providers; or (iv) providing medication monitoring or management. b. The commissioner of health and mental hygiene shall establish and operate a pilot program to provide mental health services to children who have been returned to the custody of their parent or legal guardian following a removal and who are unable to access mental health services at no cost. Such services shall be provided at no cost to such children or their parents or legal guardians for up to 1 year for each participating child. c. The commissioner of health and mental hygiene, in consultation with the commissioner of ACS, shall conduct culturally appropriate outreach on the pilot program required by subdivision b of this section in the designated citywide languages, as defined in section 23-1101. The commissioner of health and mental hygiene shall post conspicuously on the website of the department of health and mental hygiene, and the website of any mayoral agency that provides or coordinates the provision of mental health services, information on how to apply for participation in the pilot program required by subdivision b of this section. d. No later than 1 year after this local law takes effect, the commissioner of health and mental hygiene, in consultation with the commissioner of ACS, shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council a report on the feasibility of permanently operating or expanding the pilot program required by subdivision b of this section. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, the following information: 1. The number of children served by the pilot program; 2. An estimate of the number of children citywide who may be eligible for participation in such program; 3. The cost of operating such program; 4. An estimated cost to make such program permanent; 5. An estimated cost to make participation in such program available to all eligible children; 6. Any barriers to providing mental health services to such children; and 7. Recommendations to address any such barriers. � 2. This local law takes effect 180 days after it becomes law and expires and is deemed repealed 3 years after it becomes law. DR LS #3993, 8284 11/13/23 3:43pm 2 1