N.Y. MHY Law § 7.24

§ 7.24 Mental health disorder hospital discharge; policies and\n procedures.\n (a) The office, in consultation with the department of health, shall\ndevelop or utilize existing educational materials to be provided to\ngeneral hospitals to disseminate to individuals with a documented mental\nhealth disorder or who appear to have or be at risk for a mental health\ndisorder during discharge planning pursuant to section twenty-eight\nhundred three-i of the public health law. Such materials shall include\ninformation regarding the various types of treatment and support\nservices, including but not limited to: inpatient, outpatient treatment;\nhow to recognize the need for treatment services; information for\nindividuals to determine what type and level of treatment is most\nappropriate and what resources are available to individuals; and any\nother information the commissioner and the commissioner of health deem\nappropriate.\n (b) The commissioner in collaboration with the commissioner of health\nshall assist and provide guidance for every general hospital to:\n 1. utilize existing, or in addition to current policies and\nprocedures, develop, maintain and disseminate, written policies and\nprocedures, for the identification, assessment and referral of\nindividuals with a documented mental health disorder or who appear to\nhave or be at risk for a mental health disorder; and\n 2. establish and implement training, within existing, or in addition\nto current training programs, for all individuals licensed or certified\npursuant to title eight of the education law who provide direct patient\ncare regarding the policies and procedures established pursuant to this\nsection.\n (c) If a general hospital does not directly provide mental health\ndisorder services, then the commissioner, in consultation with the\ncommissioner of health, shall provide the necessary information to refer\nindividuals in need of such services to and coordinate with mental\nhealth service programs that provide such services, and have been issued\nan operating certificate pursuant to article thirty-one of this chapter.\n