Bill > A07827

This bill relates to hospitalization, care coordination, and assisted outpatient treatment for persons with mental illness. The key provisions of this bill include: - Expanding the definition of "likely to result in serious harm" to include substantial inability to meet basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, or medical care, in addition to threats or attempts at suicide or serious bodily harm. - Allowing qualified clinical examiners (e.g. psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists, clinical social workers) to conduct evaluations and certifications for involuntary hospitalization alongside physicians. - Requiring a clinical determination of risk of harm to consider all relevant information, the person's ability to adhere to outpatient treatment, and the expected long-term impact of mental illness on the person's health or safety. - Authorizing staff of adult care facilities to request transport of residents who appear mentally ill and are a danger to themselves or others to a hospital or crisis stabilization center. - Enhancing the process for initiating assisted outpatient treatment, including allowing qualified mental health professionals to file petitions and provide testimony. - Improving coordination and communication between hospitals, adult care facilities, and community mental health providers when a person is admitted, discharged, or ordered into assisted outpatient treatment. The overall intent of the bill is to expand access to essential mental health services, reduce hospitalization and involvement with the criminal justice system, and improve outcomes for individuals with severe mental illness.

Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/A7827