A 1856: Requires the office of temporary and disability assistance, in conjunction with the office of mental health and the office of children and family services, to develop a mental illness training course to be utilized by providers of temporary housing assistance to focus on recognizing signs and symptoms of mental illness.
The state of New York is introducing a new law to improve mental health services in temporary housing facilities. The law requires that all employees and volunteers working in these facilities receive training to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness. This training will be provided by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, in conjunction with the Office of Mental Health and the Office of Children and Family Services. The goal of this training is to identify best practices for recognizing mental illness and providing referrals to individuals who may be suffering from a mental illness. At least one trained employee or volunteer will be present at the facility at all times, as required by law or regulation. The new law will take effect immediately.
| Feb. 25, 2026 | reported referred to ways and means |
| Jan. 07, 2026 | referred to social services |
| Jan. 14, 2025 | referred to social services |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1856 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, DE LOS SANTOS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to mental illness training in temporary housing The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Article 2-A of the social services law is amended by adding 2 a new title 3 to read as follows: 3 TITLE 3 4 MENTAL ILLNESS TRAINING IN TEMPORARY HOUSING 5 Section 47. Training to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental 6 illness. 7 § 47. Training to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness. 8 1. The office of temporary and disability assistance, in conjunction 9 with the office of mental health and the office of children and family 10 services, shall develop a training course to be utilized by providers of 11 temporary housing assistance. Such training course shall focus on iden- 12 tifying best practices to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental 13 illness and providing referrals, as appropriate, to individuals who may 14 be suffering from a mental illness. 15 2. Providers of temporary housing assistance shall include, but are 16 not limited to, a family shelter, a shelter for adults, a hotel, an 17 emergency apartment, a domestic violence shelter, a runaway and homeless 18 youth shelter, or a safe house for refugees operating in the state. 19 3. Such training shall be provided to all employees and volunteers 20 working or volunteering at a provider of temporary housing assistance. 21 4. Providers of temporary housing assistance shall ensure at least one 22 employee or volunteer who provides intake services and has received such 23 training is at the facility at all times, when applicable law, regu- 24 lation, code, or operating plan approved by a social services district 25 or the commissioner otherwise requires employees or volunteers to be at 26 the premises. 27 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD03017-01-5