Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 39, September 25, 2024
(a)
Applicability.
Section
6503-a of the
Education Law authorizes the department to issue a waiver for certain entities
to provide the following services:
(1)
services provided under article 154, 163 or 167 of the Education Law for which
licensure would be required; or
(2)
services constituting the provision of psychotherapy as defined in section
8401
(2) of the Education Law and authorized and
provided under article 131, 139 or 153 of the Education Law.
(b)
Eligible
entities.
To be eligible for a waiver under this section, an entity
must be in existence prior to June 18, 2010 and be either:
(1) a not-for-profit corporation formed for
charitable, educational, or religious purposes or other similar purposes deemed
acceptable by the department; or
(2) an education corporation as defined in
section
216-a of the
Education Law.
(c)
Application for a waiver.
(1) To
provide the services described in subdivision (a) of this section, an eligible
entity shall have applied to the department for a waiver no later than February
1, 2012. The department may issue a waiver to a qualified entity after July 1,
2012, regardless of the date on which the entity was created, upon a
demonstration of need for the entity's services satisfactory to the department
(e.g., the entity provides services to an underserved
population or in a shortage area).
(2) No later than February 1, 2012, any
entity described in subdivision (b) of this section providing services
described in subdivision (a) of this section on or after June 18, 2010, shall
submit an application for a waiver on forms prescribed by the commissioner.
Upon submission of an application for a waiver under this section, the entity
may continue to operate and provide services until the department either denies
or approves the entity's application.
(3) An application for a waiver under this
section shall include:
(i) the name of the
entity;
(ii) evidence that the
entity is either:
(a) a not-for-profit
corporation that is formed for charitable, educational, or religious purposes,
or other similar purposes deemed acceptable by the department; or
(b) an education corporation as defined in
section
216-a
(1) of the Education Law;
(iii) evidence of the date the
entity came into existence;
(iv)
the primary address, phone number, website and email address for the
entity;
(v) contact information for
the individual responsible for submitting the application for a waiver,
including phone number and email address;
(vi) the name and address of each director
and officer of the entity;
(vii) a
copy of the certificate of incorporation or other documentation that authorizes
the entity to provide the services described in subdivision (a) of this
section;
(viii) a listing of other
jurisdictions in which the entity may provide the services described in
subdivision (a) of this section;
(ix) the information required in paragraph
(e)(1) of this section; and
(x) an
attestation by an officer authorized by the entity to make such attestation
that:
(a) identifies the scope of services to
be provided by the entity;
(b)
includes a list of professions under title 8 of the Education Law in which
professional services will be provided by such entity;
(c) includes a statement that only a licensed
professional, a person authorized to provide such services, or a professional
entity authorized by law to provide such services shall provide such
professional services as are authorized under this section;
(d) the entity will comply with section
18 of the
Public Health Law relating to patient access to records;
(e) the entity will make available any and
all information requested by the department relating to the entity's
eligibility for a waiver and the entity's compliance with the requirements of
this section and section
6503-a of the
Education Law;
(f) includes a
statement as to whether any application by the entity for an operating
certificate or license with another state or Federal agency, political
subdivision, municipal corporation, or local government agency has been granted
and such operating certificate or license is currently in effect; whether such
application is pending or was disapproved; whether such a certificate or
license was revoked; and whether a written authorization or contract was
terminated for cause by one of such agencies;
(g) the entity has adequate fiscal and
financial resources to provide such services;
(h) the statements on the application are
true and accurate.
(d)
Entities that do not require a
waiver. In accordance section
6503-a of the
Education Law, the following entities do not require a waiver under this
section:
(1) any entity operated under an
operating certificate appropriately issued in accordance with article 16, 31,
or 32 of the Mental Hygiene Law, article 28 of the Public Health Law, or
comparable procedures by a New York State or Federal agency, political
subdivision, municipal corporation, or local government agency or unit, in
accordance with the scope of the authority of such operating
certificate;
(2) a university
faculty practice corporation duly incorporated pursuant to the Not-For-Profit
Corporation Law;
(3) an institution
of higher education authorized to provide a program leading to licensure in a
profession defined under article 131, 139, 153, 154 or 163 of the Education
Law, to the extent that the scope of such services is limited to the services
authorized to be provided within such registered program;
(4) an institution of higher education
providing counseling only to the students, staff, or family members of students
and staff of such institution;
(5)
any other entity that is otherwise authorized by law to provide such services
and only to the extent that services are authorized under any certificates of
incorporation or such other organizing documents as may be applicable;
or
(6) a program or service
operated, regulated, funded, or approved by the department of mental hygiene,
the office of children and family services, the department of corrections and
community supervision, the office of temporary and disability assistance, the
state office for the aging and the department of health or a local governmental
unit as that term is defined in section
41.03 of
the Mental Hygiene Law or a social services district as defined in section
61 of the
Social Services Law.
(e)
Provision of professional services.
(1) The entity shall describe in the
application the services that will be provided that would otherwise be
restricted to individuals licensed or authorized under article 153, 154 or 163
of the Education Law. The description shall indicate the profession(s) in which
services will be provided and shall include:
(i) an attestation that individuals
authorized to provide professional services only under supervision will receive
the required supervision;
(ii) a
description of how the services will be provided, including a description of
whether the services will be provided by licensed or authorized individuals
employed by the entity or provided through a contract with licensed
professional(s) or a professional entity, as defined in Education Law section
6503-a(5); and
(iii) an attestation
that the entity will verify the licensure, limited permit or other
authorization of individuals and professional entities providing services as
employees of or on behalf of the entity.
(2) Unless otherwise authorized by law, an
entity that holds a waiver under this section shall not provide services in any
profession other than those authorized in 6503-a of the Education Law and
included on the application for a waiver.
(f)
Attestation of moral
character.
(1) Each director and
officer of the entity shall submit on forms prescribed by the commissioner an
attestation regarding whether:
(i) the
individual has been found guilty after trial, or pleaded guilty, no contest or
nolo contendere to a crime (felony or misdemeanor) in any
court;
(ii) the individual has
criminal charges (felony or misdemeanor) pending in any court;
(iii) any licensing or disciplinary authority
has refused to issue a license or has ever revoked, annulled, cancelled,
accepted surrender of, suspended, placed on probation, or refused to renew a
professional license or certificate held by the individual now or previously,
or has ever fined, censured, reprimanded or otherwise disciplined the
individual;
(iv) there are any
pending charges against the individual in any jurisdiction for any sort of
professional misconduct; or
(v) a
hospital or licensed facility has restricted or terminated the individual's
professional training, employment or privileges, or whether the individual has
ever voluntarily resigned or withdrawn from such association to avoid
imposition of such measure.
(2) Any information included in the
application that indicates that a director or officer of the entity has
committed an act which raises a reasonable question as to the individual's
moral character shall be referred to the director of the Office of Professional
Discipline or his or her designee. The determination of whether a director or
officer of the entity is of good moral character shall be made in accordance
with the procedures specified in Subpart 28-1 of this Title.
(g)
Review of waiver
applications.
The application shall not be deemed acceptable if the
entity has not submitted information identified in subdivisions (c), (e) and
(f) of this section. The department may deny an application based on the
failure of the applicant to submit the required information within a reasonable
period of time, as determined by the department. When, in the determination of
the department, all necessary information has been received, a decision to
approve or deny the waiver application shall be made within 90 days of such
determination. If the waiver application is denied, then the entity shall cease
the provision of professional services as defined in section
6503-a
(1)(a) of the Education Law. The
determination of the department shall be final, and a copy thereof shall be
forwarded to the applicant.
(h)
Waiver certificates.
(1) An entity that has been issued a waiver
under this section shall apply for a waiver certificate for each setting at
which the entity provides professional services in New York.
(2) The application for additional
certificates may be made as part of the initial application for a waiver or
after the department has approved the entity for a waiver under section
6503-a of the
Education Law.
(3) Each waiver
certificate shall display the name of the entity and the address of the
site.
(4) Any entity that willfully
fails to obtain a certificate of waiver for each site and/or to display the
waiver certificate at each site shall be subject to the penalties set forth in
section
6511 of the
Education Law.
(i)
Notification of changes.
(1) An
entity that is issued a waiver pursuant to section
6503-a of the
Education Law shall notify the department within 60 days of any change in the
information supplied to the department, including but not limited to a change
in the:
(i) name and terms of officers or
directors;
(ii) site(s) at which
professional services are provided; and
(iii) person responsible for filing the
waiver application on behalf of the entity or the contact information for such
person; and/or
(iv) a transfer or
assignment of interest as set forth in subdivision (j) of this section,
provided that the entity shall notify the department immediately of such
change.
(2) Notification
shall be made in a form prescribed by the department.
(j)
Transfer or assignment of
waiver.
A waiver issued by the department pursuant to section
6503-a of the
Education Law shall not be transferable or assignable. For purposes of this
section, a transfer or assignment shall mean the conveyance of
a waiver under this section from one entity to another entity by any means,
including but not limited to a merger, consolidation, or a change in control of
the entity.
(k)
Triennial application.
A waiver issued pursuant to this section shall be valid for
three years. An entity that is issued a waiver pursuant to this section shall
submit to the department for review an application for renewal of the waiver
every three years.