N.Y. Mental Hyg. Law § 41.42

§ 41.42 Family support programs.\n The commissioner of mental health, directly or through contract, and\nwithin amounts made available therefor, shall establish a family support\nprogram. The purpose of the program shall be to examine the impact of\nthe provision of educational and support services on the incidence of\nhospitalization. Such services shall be provided to family members\ncaring for chronically, mentally ill relatives at home and shall include\nbut not be limited to ongoing psychoeducational training which will\nenhance the family's ability to care for disabled relatives at home by\nassisting them in understanding the nature and cause of the mental\nillness and providing them with the knowledge of strategies for handling\nthe symptoms and behavior of disabled family members. The commissioner\nmay authorize the development of a training curriculum, and a staff\ntraining program to implement this program and to design and carry out\nan evaluation of this program.\n