Section 3607. Grants for expansion of services

1. The commissioner is
  hereby authorized, within the amount allocated pursuant to  subdivisions
  one,  two  and  three  of  section  thirty-six  hundred  fifteen of this
  article, to make grants to certified  public  and  voluntary  non-profit
  home  health  agencies for the purpose of increasing the availability of
  home health care services. Such grants shall be utilized to increase the
  number of persons provided services,  the  kind  of  services  provided,
  including  medical,  social  and  environmental services, the sharing of
  services or to improve or expand the method or frequency of the delivery
  of home health care services. Grant applications shall include  specific
  plans to provide the following:
    a.  an expansion of the types of services made available to persons at
  home as provided for in subdivision two of  section  thirty-six  hundred
  two of this chapter;
    b. an increase in the number of persons provided home care services by
  the  certified  home  health  agency,  directly  or  through contractual
  arrangement, or to provide for the availability of certified home health
  agency services on a seven-day-a-week basis;
    c. the development of training programs approved by  the  commissioner
  to improve the quality of services provided by the certified home health
  agency;
    d. the development of programs to coordinate the work of the certified
  home  health  agency  with  other community resources, including but not
  limited to other certified home health agencies, hospitals,  and  social
  services agencies;
    e.  demonstration  projects  to  provide  care  in  the  home by using
  methods, programs, or arrangements not ordinarily used by certified home
  health agencies, and that will help to determine  the  most  appropriate
  means  of  reducing  institutional  care and of providing better quality
  home care services, most cost-effective home  care  services,  and  more
  accessible home care services;
    f.  the  development of programs to improve home care patients' access
  to primary health services; or
    g. the development of "home care volunteer programs for  maternal  and
  child health" pursuant to subdivision two of this section.
    2.  a.  For purposes of this section, "home care volunteer program for
  maternal and child health" shall mean a program  developed,  coordinated
  and provided by a certified home health agency for purposes of assisting
  pregnant  women  and  children. Such assistance shall include but not be
  limited to: guidance in self care related  to  prenatal  care  and  post
  partum  care  such as information concerning proper nutrition, exercise,
  hygiene, drug, tobacco and alcohol use, and breast feeding; guidance  in
  infant  care;  friendly  visiting;  and  telephone  reassurance.    Such
  assistance may also include home maintenance, child care  and  shopping.
  Additional services which the agency may provide in conjunction with the
  program  shall  include nursing, social work, home health aide and other
  approved agency services necessary to serve this population.
    b. In providing such program, a certified  home  health  agency  shall
  utilize  volunteers,  especially women who have had children and who are
  willing and able to provide non-medical assistance to women for prenatal
  care and infant care.
    c. The certified home health agency shall recruit, train and supervise
  volunteers for the program and shall assure  that  such  volunteers  are
  competent  to  perform  the required tasks and are suited to the client.
  The agency shall designate a person responsible for  management  of  the
  program.
    d.  Certified  home  health agencies which provide home care volunteer
  programs for maternal and child health shall  establish  provisions  for

  referral   and   case  coordination  with  providers  of  prenatal  care
  assistance services as defined in section twenty-five hundred twenty-one
  of this chapter.
    3.  A  public or voluntary non-profit certified home health agency may
  make application for such grant in the manner and form prescribed by the
  commissioner. Grant applications may be made  for  up  to  a  three-year
  period;  however, grant awards shall be for one-year periods, subject to
  annual renewal upon approval by the commissioner.
    4. A grant amount available under this program shall  not  exceed  the
  total  cost  of  providing  the additional services, as specified in the
  application, less any income from governmental, third party or any other
  sources accruing as  a  result  of  the  provision  of  such  additional
  services.  Grants  may  not  be  used  for  agency  capital construction
  purposes. The initial grant and first year renewal may be no  more  than
  one  hundred  percent  of  the  net  cost  of  providing such additional
  services. Any grants provided for a third year shall  be  no  more  than
  seventy-five  percent of the initial year's grant. No grant shall exceed
  one hundred thousand dollars per annum.
    5. A grantee must certify  to  the  commissioner  that  all  available
  reimbursement  for  services has been and will be sought. To be eligible
  for a renewal grant, the level and amount of  services  provided  during
  any  previous  grant  period  may  not  be  decreased  without the prior
  approval of the commissioner, and the grantee shall identify and certify
  that sufficient funds are available  to  maintain  previous  levels  and
  amounts of service.
    6.  In  awarding grants pursuant to this section, the commissioner and
  the advisory group established pursuant to subdivision  six  of  section
  thirty-six   hundred   fifteen   of   this   article   shall  take  into
  consideration, in relation to the area served,  the  following  factors:
  the  number of patients awaiting discharge from hospitals or residential
  health care facilities for whom home care services are appropriate,  the
  proportion   of   patients   inappropriately  placed  in  hospitals  and
  residential health care facilities who could be served by in-home  care,
  the scope, quantity and accessibility of currently available home health
  services,  the  ability  of the agency to continue the expanded services
  upon expiration of the grant, and such other factors as the commissioner
  may determine are relevant to the public need for home health services.
    7. In addition to the requirements of this section,  the  commissioner
  shall  approve  grant  applications in accordance with the provisions of
  subdivisions five, six and seven of section thirty-six  hundred  fifteen
  of this article.
    8.  Funds  for  such  grants  shall  be made available pursuant to the
  funding formula and allocations provided in subdivisions  one,  two  and
  three of section thirty-six hundred fifteen of this article.
    9. The commissioner, after consultation with the state council on home
  care  services,  shall  promulgate  rules  and  regulations necessary to
  administer this section. The state council on home care  services  shall
  advise  the  department  of  the  availability  and quality of home care
  services  and  on  the  methods  that  may  be  used  to   enhance   the
  availability,  appropriate  utilization  and  coordination  of home care
  services through the implementation of the grant program.