§ 41.42 Family support programs.

The commissioner of mental health, directly or through contract, and within amounts made available therefor, shall establish a family support program. The purpose of the program shall be to examine the impact of the provision of educational and support services on the incidence of hospitalization. Such services shall be provided to family members caring for chronically, mentally ill relatives at home and shall include but not be limited to ongoing psychoeducational training which will enhance the family's ability to care for disabled relatives at home by assisting them in understanding the nature and cause of the mental illness and providing them with the knowledge of strategies for handling the symptoms and behavior of disabled family members. The commissioner may authorize the development of a training curriculum, and a staff training program to implement this program and to design and carry out an evaluation of this program.