481-C - Definitions. - New York Statutes

§ 481-c. Definitions. As used in this article: 1. "Domestic violence" shall mean any crime or violation, as defined in the penal law, which has been alleged to have been committed by any family or household member against any member of the same family or household. 2. "Family or household members" shall mean persons related by consanguinity or affinity or unrelated persons who are continually or at regular intervals living or in the past continually or at regular intervals lived in the same household, including victims and persons accused of having committed acts of domestic violence. 3. "Child abuse and maltreatment" shall have the same meaning as provided for in section four hundred twelve of this chapter. 4. "Public agency" shall mean a local office, board, department, bureau, commission, division, agency, other instrumentality of local government, or public or private educational institution. 5. "Family violence" shall mean any act which would constitute domestic violence as defined in subdivision one of this section or any act which would constitute child abuse and maltreatment as defined in subdivision three of this section. 6. "Primary prevention" shall mean strengthening family functioning to insure that family violence never takes place or is less likely to occur. Primary prevention shall include: educating family or household members or prospective parents in order to avoid patterns which can lead to family violence; increasing in-home services to new and prospective parents; strengthening the relationships among community resources, child protective service units and citizen groups to promote and encourage the development of family violence prevention programs; increasing the awareness of professionals and the public to the effects of stress, social isolation and the lack of social and parenting skills for the purpose of making available programs deemed helpful for children and adults; and any other program deemed helpful in the primary prevention of family violence. 7. "Secondary prevention" shall mean addressing the early signs of family violence or risk of family violence through treatment of presenting problems to prevent further problems from developing. Secondary prevention shall include: providing supportive services and temporary shelter to family or household members who are considered at risk of family violence; strengthening self-help groups composed of individuals with a history of or at risk of family violence; increasing in-home services to families at risk of violence; promoting and encouraging the development of community resources for the treatment of, and improving the response to family violence; providing information and referral services to resources and/or establishing linkages among services which are in the community; and any other program deemed helpful in the treatment of persons at risk of family violence. 8. "Family resource and support program" shall mean a community-based, prevention focused entity that: (a) provides, through direct service, core services, including: (1) parent education, support and leadership services, together with services characterized by relationships between parents and professionals that are based on equality and respect, and designed to assist parents in acquiring parenting skills, learning about child development, and responding appropriately to the behavior of their children; (2) services to facilitate the ability of parents to serve as resources to one another (such as through mutual support and parent self-help groups);(3) outreach services provided through voluntary home visits and other methods to assist parents in becoming aware of and able to participate in family resources and support program activities; (4) community and social services to assist families in obtaining community resources; and (5) follow-up services; (b) provides, or arranges for the provision of, other core services through contracts or agreements with other local agencies, including all forms of respite care services; and (c) provides access to optional services, directly or by contract, purchase of service, or interagency agreement, including: (1) child care, early childhood development and early intervention services; (2) referral to self-sufficiency and life management skills training; (3) referral to education services, such as scholastic tutoring, literacy training, and general educational degree services; (4) referral to services providing job readiness skills; (5) child abuse and neglect prevention activities; (6) referral to services that families with children with disabilities or special needs may require; (7) community and social service referral, including early developmental screening of children; (8) peer counseling; (9) referral for substance abuse counseling and treatment; and (10) help line services.