Int. No. 706-A
By Council Members Abreu, Bottcher, De La Rosa, Nurse, Lee, Hanif, Brewer, Restler, Hudson, Avilés, Joseph, Riley, Farías, Sanchez, Louis, Menin, Cabán, Rivera, Brooks-Powers and Dinowitz
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the office of community mental health to maintain access to an online services database
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 3 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new subchapter 9 to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER 9
OFFICE OF COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
§ 3-190 Definitions. For purposes of this subchapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
Designated citywide languages. The term “designated citywide languages” has the same meaning set forth in subdivision a of section 23-1101.
LGBTQI+. The term “LGBTQI+” means lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, gender non-conforming, or non-binary.
Office. The term “office” means the mayor’s office of community mental health created pursuant to section 20-m of the New York city charter.
Relevant agencies. The term “relevant agencies” means any agencies included in the city’s database of support, crisis intervention, and information and referral services for anyone seeking help for mental health or substance use concerns.
Relevant organization. The term “relevant organization” means an organization that provides services, including, but not limited to, crisis, housing, inpatient care, legal, outpatient care, and substance use services to an individual with a mental health need or to persons caring for such an individual.
§ 3-191 Online database. a. The office shall maintain on its website access to a publicly accessible, searchable online database of mental health services that are provided by any relevant agencies and relevant organizations in the city, to the extent such agencies or organizations provide the city with information about mental health services they offer. The office shall indicate on its website that such database is searchable by program focus category, which may include but need not be limited to caregivers, immigrants, undocumented individuals, refugees, asylees, justice-involved individuals, LGBTQI+ individuals, homebound individuals, and children and adolescents. The office shall indicate on its website that such database is searchable by service subcategories, which may include but need not be limited to crisis, housing, inpatient care, legal, outpatient care, and substance use services. The office shall indicate on its website that, to the extent provided to the city for inclusion in the database, such database information includes, but is not limited to, the following information for each relevant agency and relevant organization:
1. Address, office hours, and contact information;
2. Mental health services provided;
3. Payment information, including types of insurance accepted;
4. The languages in which services are provided;
5. Whether such services are provided in person or remotely;
6. Whether such services are provided via peers; and
7. Whether such services are accessible to persons with disabilities.
§ 3-192. Outreach. The office shall coordinate with relevant agencies and relevant organizations to support the city’s efforts to coordinate, facilitate, or conduct culturally appropriate outreach in the designated citywide languages regarding mental health resources, including access to the online database described in section 3-191.
§ 2. This local law takes effect 180 days after it becomes law.
NLB/SOS
LS #7913
5/31/2023 4:30pm