File #: Int 0690-2024    Version: * Name: Requiring the provision of mental health first aid training.
Type: Introduction Status: Committee
Committee: Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction
On agenda: 3/19/2024
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the provision of mental health first aid training
Sponsors: Linda Lee, Lynn C. Schulman, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Farah N. Louis
Council Member Sponsors: 4
Summary: This bill would direct the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to work with the Office of Community Mental Health in order to offer “Mental Health First Aid Training” to the public. This type of training teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to the signs and risk factors for mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Such training would be available to the public at no cost, every day, excluding holidays, and in multiple different languages. The bill would also require outreach to raise awareness about the training and to specifically encourage individuals who have roles or professions that require frequent interaction with the public, such as salon workers, religious leaders, and community leaders, to participate in the training.
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 690, 2. Int. No. 690, 3. March 19, 2024 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 4. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 3-19-24

Int. No. 690

 

By Council Members Lee, Schulman, Gutiérrez and Louis

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the provision of mental health first aid training

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-199.26 to read as follows:

§ 17-199.26 Mental health first aid training. a. No later than one year after the effective date of the local law that added this section, the commissioner, in collaboration with the office of community mental health, shall offer mental health first aid training to the general public. Such training shall instruct participants on how to identify, understand, and respond to the signs and risk factors for mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Such training shall be conducted every day, excluding holidays, at no cost to participants.

b. The training offered pursuant to subdivision a of this section shall be conducted in English, and, in addition, at least 6 times per year in each of the designated citywide languages, as defined in section 23-1101.

c. The commissioner, in collaboration with the office of community mental health, shall conduct outreach to increase awareness of the availability of the training offered pursuant to subdivision a of this section. The commissioner shall also conduct additional outreach specifically targeted to encourage individuals that have roles or professions that require frequent interaction with the public, such as salon workers, religious leaders, and community leaders, to participate in the training.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.  

REC

LS #8901/11963/15660

02/06/24 4:30 pm