2020 New York Laws
SOS - Social Services
Article 2 - Department and State Board of Social Welfare
20-D - Training of Direct Care Workers in Adverse Childhood Experiences.

§   20-d.  Training  of  direct  care  workers  in  adverse  childhood
experiences. 1. As used in this section:
  (a) "Direct-care employees" means the employees of  domestic  violence
shelters,  safe  dwellings, and domestic violence programs identified by
the certifying organization to receive training,  which  shall  include,
but  not be limited to, the directors and coordinators of such shelters,
dwellings, and programs, and any individual or  employee  performing  or
required to perform similar responsibilities.
  (b)  "Certifying organization" means an organization designated by the
federal department of health and human services to coordinate  statewide
improvements  within  local  communities,  social  services systems, and
programming  regarding  the  prevention  and  intervention  of  domestic
violence in New York state.
  (c)  "Adverse  childhood  experiences"  or  "ACEs"  means stressful or
traumatic experiences experienced during childhood, which  are  strongly
related  to  the  development  and  prevalence of a wide range of health
problems throughout a person's lifetime, including, but not  limited  to
physical  or  sexual  abuse; domestic violence; parental mental illness;
substance abuse; and incarceration.
  2. The office of temporary and disability assistance and the office of
children and family services shall, within amounts appropriated for such
purpose, contract exclusively  with  an  entity,  or  with  entities  in
partnership,  to develop a training program for direct-care employees to
identify  individuals  who  have  experienced  ACEs,  develop  effective
strategies  for  assisting  and  interacting  with such individuals, and
locate programs and services to which such individuals with ACEs may  be
referred  to  help  build  the  individual's resilience. Such entity, or
entities   in   partnership,   shall   be   experienced   in   providing
trauma-informed,  victim-centered  training  on domestic violence, child
abuse, and ACEs. Such entity,  or  entities  in  partnership,  shall  be
responsible for providing such training to direct-care employees.
  3.  All direct-care employees shall be required to participate in such
training program. Such training shall be provided at  no  cost  to  such
employees.
  4. The office of temporary and disability assistance and the office of
children and family services shall, within amounts appropriated for such
purpose,   contract   with   a  certifying  organization  to  provide  a
certification of completion to each direct-care employee  who  satisfies
the requirements of such training program.