New York Laws
Article 31 - Regulation and Quality Control of Services for the Mentally Disabled
31.30 - Abuse, Neglect, and Significant Incidents Involving Vulnerable Persons.

(a) The commissioner in consultation with the executive director of
the justice center for the protection of people with special needs,
shall promulgate regulations establishing standards for the protection
of service recipients in the care of facilities and provider agencies
operated, licensed or certified by the office from reportable incidents
pursuant to article eleven of the social services law, including
procedures for:
1. consistent with appropriate collective bargaining agreements and
applicable provisions of the civil service law, assisting the justice
center for the protection of people with special needs with its review
and evaluation of criminal background checks of prospective employees,
as set forth in subdivision five of section five hundred fifty-three of
the executive law;
2. establishing minimal experiential and educational qualifications
for employees that are consistent with appropriate collective bargaining
agreements and applicable provisions of the civil service law;
3. assuring adequate and appropriate supervision of employees,
volunteers and consultants;
4. demonstrating that appropriate action is taken to assure the safety
of the service recipient as well as other persons in care, immediately
upon notification that a reportable incident has been made in accordance
with article eleven of the social services law;
4-a. consistent with applicable collective bargaining agreements
assuring that an individual who has committed a category one offense, as
defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision four of section four hundred
ninety-three of the social services law, that is included on the
vulnerable persons' central register is not hired or otherwise used in
any position in which such individual would have regular and substantial
contact with a service recipient in any program operated, licensed or
certified by the office;
5. removing a service recipient when it is determined that there is
risk to such person if he or she continues to remain in a facility; and
6. taking appropriate preventive and remedial actions, including legal
action, consistent with appropriate collective bargaining agreements and
applicable provisions of the civil service law. The commissioner shall
adopt standards as established by the justice center for the protection
of people with special needs, that:
(i) administrators, employees, volunteers and consultants receive
training in at least the following: abuse prevention and identification,
safety and security procedures, the principles of child development, the
characteristics of persons in care and techniques of group management
including crisis intervention, the laws, rules and regulations and
procedures governing the protection of vulnerable persons from
reportable incidents and other appropriate topics; provided, however,
that the office may exempt administrators and consultants from such
requirements upon demonstration of substantially equivalent knowledge or
experience; and
(ii) service recipients receive instruction consistent with their age,
needs and circumstances as well as the needs and circumstances within
the facility or program, in techniques and procedures that will enable
them to advocate and protect themselves from reportable incidents.
The commissioner, in consultation with the executive director of the
justice center for the protection of people with special needs, shall
take all reasonable and necessary actions to assure that employees,
volunteers or consultants in facilities operated or overseen by the
office are kept apprised on a current basis of all policies and

procedures relating to the protection of vulnerable persons and shall
monitor and supervise the provision of training to such administrators,
employees, volunteers, children and consultants. Standards developed
pursuant to this subdivision shall, to the extent possible, be
consistent with those promulgated by other state agencies for such
purposes.
(b) The commissioner shall provide necessary assistance to the justice
center for the protection of people with special needs in the conduct of
investigations pursuant to article eleven of the executive law, shall
consider its recommendations for appropriate preventive and remedial
action including legal actions, and shall provide or direct a
residential facility licensed or operated by the office of mental health
to provide written reports thereon to such justice center as to the
implementation of plans of prevention and remediation.
(c) The commissioner shall provide for the development and
implementation of a plan of prevention and remediation with respect to a
substantiated report of a reportable incident. Such action shall
include:
1. within ten days of receipt of a substantiated report of a
reportable incident, development and implementation of a plan of
prevention and remediation to be taken to assure the continued health,
safety, and welfare of service recipients and to provide for the
prevention of future acts of reportable incidents; and
2. development and implementation of a plan of prevention and
remediation, in the event an investigation of a report of an alleged
reportable incident determines that such report is substantiated and
such reportable incident may be attributed in whole or in part to
noncompliance by the facility with provisions of this chapter or
regulations of the respective office applicable to the operation of such
facility. Any plan of prevention and remediation required to be
developed pursuant to this subdivision by a facility supervised by the
office shall be submitted to and approved by such office in accordance
with time limits established by rules and regulations of such office.
Implementation of the plan shall be monitored by such office or the
justice center. In reviewing the continued qualification of a
residential facility or program for an operating certificate, the office
having supervisory responsibilities shall evaluate such facility's
compliance with plans of prevention and remediation developed pursuant
to this subdivision.