§ 532-b. Powers and duties of runaway and homeless youth crisis services programs. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, pursuant to regulations of the office of children and family services a runaway and homeless youth crisis services program is authorized to and shall:

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(a) provide assistance to any runaway or homeless youth or youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services as defined in this article;

(b) attempt to determine the cause for the youth's runaway or homeless status;

(c) explain to the runaway or homeless youth his or her legal rights and options of service or other assistance available to the youth;

(d) work towards reuniting such youth with his or her parent or guardian as soon as practicable in accordance with section five hundred thirty-two-c of this article;

(e) assist in arranging for necessary services for runaway or homeless youth, and where appropriate, their families, including but not limited to food, shelter, clothing, medical care, education and individual and family counseling. Where the runaway and homeless youth crisis services program concludes that such runaway or homeless youth would be eligible for assistance, care or services from a local social services district, it shall assist the youth in securing such assistance, care or services as the youth is entitled to;

(f) immediately report to the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment or vulnerable persons' central register, as appropriate, where it has reasonable cause to suspect that the runaway or homeless youth has been abused or neglected or when such youth maintains such to be the case;

(g) contact the appropriate local social services district if it is believed that the youth may be a destitute child, as such term is defined in section one thousand ninety-two of the family court act. The office of children and family services shall provide appropriate guidance to the runaway and homeless youth crisis services program on how to accurately identify a youth that may be a destitute child; and

(h) provide information to eligible youth about their ability to re-enter foster care in accordance with article ten-B of the family court act, and in appropriate cases, refer any such youth who may be interested in re-entering foster care to the applicable local social services district. The office of children and family services shall provide the runaway and homeless youth crisis services program with the appropriate educational materials to give to eligible youth regarding their ability to re-enter foster care. The office of children and family services shall also provide appropriate guidance to the runaway and homeless youth crisis services program on how to accurately identify youth that may be eligible to re-enter foster care and how to refer such youth to the applicable local social services district if appropriate.

2. (a) A runaway youth may remain in a certified residential runaway and homeless youth crisis services program on a voluntary basis for a period not to exceed thirty days, or for a youth age fourteen or older for a period up to sixty days when authorized in the applicable municipality's approved comprehensive plan, from the date of admission where the filing of a petition pursuant to article ten of the family court act is not contemplated, in order that arrangements can be made for the runaway youth's return home, alternative residential placement pursuant to § 398 of the social services law, or any other suitable plan.

(b) If the runaway youth and the parent, guardian or custodian agree in writing, the runaway youth may remain in such program up to sixty days, or up to one hundred twenty days when authorized in the applicable municipality's approved county comprehensive plan, without the filing of a petition pursuant to article ten of the family court act, provided that in any such case the facility shall first have obtained the approval of the applicable municipal runaway and homeless youth services coordinator, who shall notify the municipality's youth bureau of his or her approval together with a statement as to the reason why such additional residential stay is necessary and a description of the efforts being made to find suitable alternative living arrangements for such youth.

(c) A runaway youth may remain in a certified residential runaway and homeless youth crisis services program beyond the applicable period authorized by paragraph (a) or (b) of this subdivision, if the municipality has notified the office of children and family services in accordance with clause (iv) of subparagraph three of paragraph a of subdivision two of section four hundred twenty of this chapter.