Chair Hudson questions DHS on mental health professionals in family shelters

And then Local Law 35 of 2023 requires DHS to have a mental health professional available in shelters for families with children.

Can you speak about the implementation of this law?

Thank you.

Currently, we have 113 of 143 sites, or 79% of the targeted sites, have one or more mental health professional on site.

And their job is to assess families'needs using a biopsychosocial assessment and other behavioral health screening tools, making sure that we are aware of the needs of the family and making appropriate referrals.

These staff are also engaged in crisis prevention, in de-escalation, and collaborate with case managers to make sure that families are getting their needs met, that they're healthy, that they're safe.

They might also accompany staff to do unit inspections, work with ACS case managers if the family has ACS involvement.

Thank you for that.

And hold on one second.

We understand that DHS uses telehealth in many shelters to comply with Local Law 35.

Are shelter residents utilizing telehealth options?

I have to get back to you on the numbers, though.

I believe they're in the MMR.

Give me one moment.

Okay.

We'll have to get back to you on that.

Okay.

And the language of Local Law 35 subjects a requirement of having mental health professionals available in shelters for families with children to appropriations.

However, we've been told by some providers that DSS has told shelters they must provide mental health services without increasing their budget.

Has DSS adjusted shelter budgets to account for mental health care, or have shelters been expected to absorb the cost?

Thank you.

It depends on the provider's budget and the budget for the shelter.

And this gets to the ability we have to request from OMB changes to the budget when the needs arise.

Okay.

Thank you for that.