N.Y. worker bill to handle trauma, COVID introduced

Lawmakers in New York on Thursday introduced a bill that would help frontline workers such as emergency responders and hospital workers grappling with trauma related to their work in caring for patients with COVID-19.

S.B. 8608 would establish the “frontline workers trauma informed care advisory council” to link frontline workers affected by COVID-19 to “evidenced-based trauma-informed support resources and learning opportunities,” according to a summary.

The bill amends the state’s “mental hygiene” law to create an all-volunteer council comprised of such experts as health care workers and behavioral health advocates within 30 days of the bill’s passage.

Among the duties of the council would be to identify evidence-based  tools to track the impact of COVID-19 and the “associated collective trauma and the needs of frontline workers” and identify or develop training opportunities for organizations that employ frontline workers on how to support the mental health and wellness of their impacted employees, according to a draft.

The bill was referred to a Senate rules committee.

More insurance and workers compensation news on the coronavirus crisis here.