S 5948: Establishes the peer advocacy and mentoring program; provides peer support, advocacy and mentoring for youth in residential care.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5948 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing the peer advocacy and mentoring program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 522-a 2 to read as follows: 3 § 522-a. Peer advocacy and mentoring program. 1. There is hereby 4 created within the office of children and family services, a peer advo- 5 cacy and mentoring program. 6 2. The office of children and family services shall, in consultation 7 with the office of mental health and within the amounts appropriated 8 therefor, contract with a not-for-profit organization or organizations 9 specializing in providing peer support and advocacy to youth and the 10 needs of youth, including but not limited to emotional and behavioral 11 needs, to establish a peer advocacy and mentoring program. Such program 12 shall be designed to provide peer support, advocacy and mentoring for 13 youth residing in residential care. 14 3. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law to the contrary, 15 priority for services under the peer advocacy and mentoring program 16 shall be given to youth who were placed in residential care pursuant to 17 section 353.3 of the family court act, and who reside in facilities 18 described in section five hundred four of this article. 19 4. Peer advocates acting as employees or volunteers in the peer advo- 20 cacy and mentoring program shall: (a) be individuals between the ages of 21 sixteen and thirty who have: 22 (i) previously been placed in residential care; 23 (ii) experienced disabilities or behavioral health needs; and 24 (iii) successfully completed training that has been approved by the 25 commissioners of the office of mental health and the office of children EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10559-01-5 
 S. 5948 2 1 and family services, qualifying such individuals to work in the peer 2 advocacy and mentoring program; 3 (b) have reasonable and appropriate access to youth in residential 4 facilities and the opportunity to meet with youth in a private, confi- 5 dential setting; 6 (c) serve as a link for youth and their families to other supports 7 including the attorney for the child and the office of the ombudsperson 8 as described in section five hundred twenty-three-b of this title; and 9 (d) not identify, in any way, outside of their scope of employment or 10 duties as a peer advocate, the name or identity of any youth served 11 within the peer advocacy and mentoring program without the express writ- 12 ten consent of such youth. 13 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 14 have become a law.