Q&A
Exceptions to shelter stay limits for medical procedures and reasonable accommodations
2:34:06
·
3 min
Officials explain the process for requesting exceptions to shelter stay limits for medical reasons and the reasonable accommodation process. They discuss how these requests are evaluated and approved.
- Medical procedures can be considered as part of the extenuating circumstances or reasonable accommodation process
- Health and Hospitals clinicians review reasonable accommodation requests for their sites
- 88% of reasonable accommodation requests have been approved
- Review process typically takes less than a week, during which individuals stay on-site
Alexa Avilés
2:34:06
Okay.
2:34:06
We're coming up on time, but I just realized, in terms of health care, does the city make any exceptions to the 30, 60 limit for individuals that have upcoming medical procedures?
Molly Schaeffer
2:34:19
So that is part of an, the process of requesting an extenuating circumstance.
2:34:25
We also have a reasonable accommodation process, where if somebody has, some reason where they would need to stay in place, they can come and request that.
Alexa Avilés
2:34:35
And how long does that take to determine?
Molly Schaeffer
2:34:38
It depends based on if they if somebody brings proof, and we review each case individually.
Alexa Avilés
2:34:47
And how many of these have you do you keep track of how many have been requested reasonable accommodations?
Molly Schaeffer
2:34:55
So we'd have to get back to you on that point.
2:34:57
We I don't have the exact reasonable accommodation numbers in front of me.
Alexa Avilés
2:35:02
Are there any medical procedures that wouldn't be included in exemptions or, accommodations?
Molly Schaeffer
2:35:09
So it's a case by case determination based on the totality of
Alexa Avilés
2:35:15
circumstances.
2:35:16
And I guess this is another I a lot of great a lot of great areas, and I appreciate the complexity of it.
2:35:24
But is that just dependent on the person who's reviewing it, whether they think this is an important procedure or not?
Molly Schaeffer
2:35:32
There's lots of lawyers involved.
2:35:34
There's a medical commute there's, clinicians involved.
2:35:37
There's a process to get a reasonable accommodation reviewed, and so there is layers to it, but it does take into account the totality of circumstances.
2:35:46
One person's disease may not be the same as another person's disease and how it affects them from moving place to place.
2:35:52
I don't know, doctor Ted.
2:35:54
Yeah.
Ted Long
2:35:54
I wanted to I can add, a couple of notes about the reasonable accommodation process from the point of view of our, health and hospitals humanitarian center sites, and then if Emily wants to add anything from the point of view, of the reticketing center, that would be great.
2:36:06
I I first just wanted to say, I know this has nothing to do with your question, but that health care is a human right regardless of who is president, and we will always, in New York City, see everybody that comes to us for help.
2:36:17
We've had a lot of asylum seekers come to us for help over the last 2 years.
2:36:20
We make them our primary care patients at health and hospitals.
2:36:23
I am proud to see many of them in my personal clinic in in the Bronx every Friday.
2:36:27
Reasonable accommodation, to to your question, is, we have a clinician that's a part of health and hospitals review every reasonable accommodation request that's requested of, or requested by anybody staying at any of our sites.
2:36:41
I could tell you for example, I have the data here, 88% have been approved.
2:36:45
Some are still waiting on paperwork from the medical team that's taking care of the person, but we have, our health and hospitals team, is the one that's reviewing, the requests and making sure that everybody's appropriately cared for.
Alexa Avilés
2:36:56
And do you Doctor.
2:36:57
Long, do you have a sense of, how long an approval process takes?
Ted Long
2:37:02
Yes.
2:37:03
So, we, documentation turnaround review, we commit to and deliver on less than 1 week, and during that time somebody stays on-site.
2:37:12
So if you, for example, chair, request reasonable accommodation, and let's say 2 days before your notice might be up, we will have you stay on-site while your, case is being reviewed, and then when the outcome of the review is complete, we'll come and talk to you about the outcome.
2:37:27
Most of the time we do get back to people much quicker than that, but that's the standard we set for ourself.
Molly Schaeffer
2:37:32
And I'm very sorry, but I have to leave.
2:37:34
It is 1 o'clock.
Alexa Avilés
2:37:36
We had a
Molly Schaeffer
2:37:36
hard stop.
2:37:38
Sorry.
Alexa Avilés
2:37:39
Duly noted.
2:37:40
We we were informed of your hard stop, so don't leave without, me saying thank you for for being here, for responding to the questions.
2:37:50
There are a slew of questions.
2:37:52
We are expecting follow-up, so, we have a diligent list of things that we are anticipating some questions for.
2:38:00
So, thank you for your testimony.
Jackeline Cruz
2:38:03
Thank you.
2:38:03
Thank you.
