New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
Title 18 - DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
Chapter II - Regulations of the Department of Social Services
Subchapter L - Homeless Housing And Assistance Program
Part 900 - Shelters For Families With Children
Section 900.10 - Resident services
Universal Citation: 18 NY Comp Codes Rules and Regs ยง 900.10
Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 39, September 25, 2024
(a) All facilities.
(1) In all facilities, families
must be provided with services which include at a minimum: sleeping area,
access to three meals a day, supervision, and health services. In addition,
facilities must assist residents in making application for income entitlements
or public benefits such as public assistance, medical assistance, food stamps,
Supplemental Security Income, title XX or child welfare or unemployment
benefits. Procedures must be developed for each facility which will allow
residents of the facility to apply for benefits at the nearest income
maintenance center or social services district office.
(2) Health services.
(i) Facilities must have an established
relationship with a fully accredited medical institution or clinic for the
referral of families for emergency treatment. Facilities must assist families
to access medical services for initial examinations and treatment for illness
and disease.
(ii) Family members
with minor communicable diseases, or who have minor localized infections, must
be properly isolated and quarantined if allowed to remain in the
facility.
(iii) Family members with
a generalized systemic communicable disease, or a readily communicable local
infection which cannot be properly isolated and quarantined in the facility
must be transferred to an appropriate medical facility or to another shelter
facility which is designed to accommodate such a condition.
(b) Tier I facilities. In addition to the resident services provided in accordance with subdivision (a) of this section, a tier I facility must:
(1) complete a written preliminary needs
determination for each family within two days of admission. Facility staff and
the family must discuss the immediate needs of the family, including any
benefits or services which if immediately provided to the family would
facilitate their return to permanent housing in less than 21 days. An
evaluation shall also be made of the educational needs, community ties, and
other needs of the family in order to determine the most appropriate temporary
placement for the family pursuant to section
900.7
of this Part; and
(2) provide a
family who is being housed in a tier I facility for more than 21 days with the
services such family would have received pursuant to subdivision (c) of this
section in a tier II facility if the family had been placed in such a
facility.
(c) Tier II facilities. In addition to the resident services provided in accordance with subdivision (a) of this section, a tier II facility must provide the following resident services:
(1) Assessment services.
(i) Within 10 days of admission to a tier II
facility the family and staff of the facility must have developed and mutually
agreed to a written services plan designed to help the family to achieve
permanent housing arrangements. This services plan must include an assessment
of the family's needs, an analysis of how these needs will be met through
existing public assistance and care programs, including child welfare programs,
and the steps that will be taken to achieve the service needs of the family. A
social services district may substitute an independent living plan developed in
accordance with the provisions of section
352.35
of this Title for the written services plan, provided that it contains the
elements described in section
900.9(d)
of this Part.
(ii) The services or
independent living plan must be reviewed with the family biweekly and such plan
must be revised as necessary to obtain permanent housing. The family shall have
access to its services or independent living plan and case file.
(iii) The facility or social services
district must document the resident services or independent living plan and all
direct services and service referrals to other entities provided while the
resident family is in the facility.
(2) Preparation for permanent housing.
(i) Preparation for permanent housing must be
provided which implements the services or independent living plan designed to
help the family obtain permanent housing.
(ii) At a minimum, preparation for permanent
housing must include assistance in:
(a)
obtaining permanent housing including assistance in locating adequate available
housing, providing referrals to such housing, providing assistance in obtaining
needed documents, providing advocacy assistance in the completion and filing of
housing applications, scheduling of appointments for viewings and inspections
of premises, providing assistance in preparing for interviews, and providing
assistance in establishing competency skills for permanent housing by
addressing issues such as budgeting, accessing community resources,
housekeeping, home repairs and landlord/tenant rights;
(b) securing necessary supportive social and
mental health services including, but not limited to, psychiatric and drug and
alcohol abuse services; and
(c)
securing employment assessments, job training and job placement services, where
appropriate.
(3) Recreational services. Appropriate
recreational services must be provided.
(4) Information and referral services.
Facilities must maintain a listing of local community agencies and programs
whose services might assist residents to return to permanent housing. Facility
staff must refer residents to such programs, as needed and when
appropriate.
(5) Child care
services.
(i) Supervised care of all children
must be provided when such care is necessary to enable the parent or caretaker
relative of such child to seek employment and/or permanent housing or to attend
school or training. Staff responsible for such care and supervision of the
children must have prior experience in child care or must receive adequate
training to enable them to perform such functions.
(ii) If child care is provided onsite, the
staff/child ratios for adults providing supervised care other than recreational
services for preschool children and for school-age children not in attendance
at school must be a minimum of one adult per 8 children and one adult per 15
children, respectively. For the purpose of this section, a suitable adult
resident may be counted as staff for the purpose of the supervised care
ratios.
(iii) If child care is
provided offsite, the day care center or family day care home must be in
compliance with all applicable State and local requirements concerning
licensing and operations.
(iv) Day
care may be provided onsite, provided the appropriate agency has licensed the
program and the social services district has committed to fund the program
using title XX or other appropriate funding sources.
(d) Congregate shelters for homeless pregnant women. In addition to the resident services provided in accordance with subdivision (a) of this section, a congregate shelter for homeless pregnant women must provide the following services:
(1) Health services. Shelters must
demonstrate that the services listed below are available to residents of the
shelter. If the services are to be provided at the shelter, the medical
provider must be licensed by the appropriate entity to provide services at the
shelter site. Services include:
(i) initial
medical evaluation of each resident; and
(ii) comprehensive prenatal care services
which include:
(a) prenatal risk
assessment;
(b) prenatal care
visits and laboratory procedures;
(c) referral for special tests, consultations
and hospitalization, and mechanisms to assure that services were
received;
(d) health education
regarding prenatal nutrition, alcohol and tobacco use, drug abuse, use of
medication, other aspects of prenatal care, labor and delivery, family planning
to prevent future unintended pregnancies, breast feeding, infant care and
parenting;
(e) referral for
pediatric care;
(f) referral for
nutrition services including screening, education, counseling, follow- up and
provision of services under the women, infants and children's program and the
supplemental nutrition assistance program;
(g) referral for mental health and related
social services including screening and counseling;
(h) arrangements for delivery and post-partum
services; and
(i) assistance with
transportation for prenatal care services.
(2) Casework services. Congregate shelters
for homeless pregnant women must provide casework services designed to identify
current needs, possible community supports and future needs of its residents. A
written services plan must identify all services provided to the resident and
the goals the resident hopes to achieve. Case workers must meet at least
biweekly with residents to review the residents' progress and to identify any
problems.
(3) Permanent housing
services. Congregate shelters for homeless pregnant women must provide
assistance designed to enable each resident to obtain permanent housing. Such
assistance must include: assistance in locating adequate available housing,
providing referrals to such housing, providing assistance in obtaining needed
documents, providing advocacy assistance in the completion and filing of
housing applications, scheduling of appointments for rentals and inspections of
premises, providing assistance in preparing for interviews, and providing
assistance to establish competency skills for permanent housing by addressing
issues such as budgeting community resources, housekeeping, home repairs and
landlord/tenant rights.
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