This bill prohibits disclosing the name and address of health care workers who are assaulted by patients or residents at health care facilities. It directly affects licensed health care workers, direct care staff at psychiatric hospitals, developmental centers, or veterans' homes, when the assault occurs during their duties. The law requires that these details be redacted from court documents, complaints, or reports, and makes unauthorized public disclosure a civil violation punishable by a $100 penalty per document. It aims to protect workers from further retaliation while maintaining public access to other case details.
This bill (A 3826) proposes key changes to New Jersey's behavioral health care system. It requires Medicaid to pay residential behavioral health providers at rates matching Medicare (100% of Medicare rates starting July 2024), mandates annual cost-of-living adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index, and creates two new grant programs: one for facility maintenance and another to fund training and internships for behavioral health professionals. These provisions directly affect residential behavioral health providers, Medicaid beneficiaries, and the behavioral health workforce by increasing provider payments and supporting facility upkeep and staff development. The bill aims to improve access to and quality of care within the state's Medicaid program.
This non-binding resolution urges the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary to prioritize transitional housing programs. It specifically targets homeless individuals and families, with special emphasis on survivors of domestic violence who face barriers to permanent housing. Transitional housing provides up to 24 months of safe shelter alongside support services like financial counseling, job training, and mental health resources. The resolution highlights that current emergency shelters often limit stays to 90 days and that over half of domestic violence victims needing housing assistance do not receive it.
This bill prohibits New Jersey licensing boards from asking healthcare professionals (like doctors, nurses, and therapists) about their past mental health treatment during license applications or renewals. It allows boards to ask only about current conditions that impair safe practice, with strict confidentiality and guarantees that treated conditions won't lead to license denial. The law requires boards to limit questions to safety-related impairments and ensures responses about past care remain confidential if no impairment exists. This directly affects all healthcare workers seeking or renewing state licenses in New Jersey, aiming to reduce stigma and encourage seeking mental health support.
This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services (DHS) to reimburse group home operators at full rate for services provided to residents with developmental disabilities during a 60-day medical, psychiatric, or rehabilitative transfer to another facility. If the resident isn't returned within 60 days, DHS must pay 50% of the reimbursement rate for an additional 120 days. After six months without return, group home operators may begin discharge procedures per existing regulations. The bill directly affects group home providers and residents with developmental disabilities receiving in-home support services.
This bill establishes the ARRIVE Together Program to provide mental health crisis response alternatives to law enforcement. It requires law enforcement agencies (including state police, county police, and municipal departments) to partner with licensed mental health providers who can respond to calls involving mental health or substance use crises instead of police-only interventions. The program mandates confidentiality for all personal health information collected during responses and protects mental health providers from civil liability for good-faith actions taken during crisis interventions. The law applies directly to law enforcement agencies, mental health service providers, and individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises during emergency calls.
This bill (A 1512) allows trained operators of New Jersey’s Suicide Hopeline to make follow-up calls to minors aged 16 or older who contact the hotline and are identified as high-risk for suicide, without requiring parental consent. It directly affects minors in crisis by enabling immediate, confidential support from the Hopeline after an initial call. The key mechanism amends existing law to explicitly permit these brief, supportive follow-up calls - specifically for suicide prevention - while clarifying they do not constitute formal mental health treatment. The bill was withdrawn after being approved as part of P.L.2025, c.238, meaning the policy change is now in effect.
This New Jersey bill (A 946), now law as P.L.2025, c.177, requires mental health services to be provided in the communication method preferred by each deaf or hard of hearing individual - such as sign language or oral communication - based on their assessment. It mandates that mental health professionals be fluent in that method, trained in cultural needs, and able to collaborate with interpreters. The law also requires a state resource guide listing specialized mental health services and ensures individuals can help shape their own care plans. It directly affects all deaf or hard of hearing residents seeking mental health support in New Jersey, addressing long-standing barriers in access and care quality.
This bill establishes the "South Jersey Community Resilience Center" in Atlantic City to serve LGBTQIA+ residents across eight South Jersey counties, who currently lack dedicated community resources. It allocates $500,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services for the center’s operation, which will provide mental health workshops, peer support groups, LGBTQIA+-specific healthcare resources, and a safe space for community events. The center will partner with health organizations to reduce barriers to services like healthcare and advocacy while fostering belonging. The bill is pending in the Assembly Health Committee as of January 2026.
This bill increases Medicaid reimbursement rates for certain mental health services to at least the Medicare rate. It directly affects Medicaid-eligible patients (adults and children) and providers like licensed substance abuse treatment centers or mental health professionals offering evidence-based outpatient counseling. The key provision requires that services must be proven effective (listed in federal registries or approved by state officials) and limited to individual/group therapy in outpatient settings. This policy change aims to improve payment for specific behavioral health treatments under New Jersey's Medicaid program.
