New Jersey-2024-A1567-Introduced

An Act concerning crisis hotline center staffing requirements and amending P.L.2022, c.35.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 3 of P.L.2022, c.35 (C.26:2MM-9) is amended to read as follows:

3. a. The Commissioner of Human Services shall establish a comprehensive Statewide mobile behavioral health crisis response system, which shall, at a minimum:

(1) be capable of providing behavioral health crisis response services throughout the State 24 hours per day, seven days per week;

(2) respond to behavioral health crisis dispatch requests made by crisis hotline centers that have contracted with the Department of Human Services pursuant to subsection a. of section 2 of this act and other dispatch centers using mobile crisis response teams and other appropriate resources and services;

(3) provide behavioral health crisis stabilization services, including, but not limited to, referrals to appropriate behavioral health services providers for additional care following resolution of the immediate behavioral health crisis; and

(4) provide follow-up services for people who contact a crisis response center to ensure continuity of care and provide additional referrals or other services as may be appropriate to the person's ongoing treatment needs.

b. In establishing the Statewide mobile behavioral health crisis response system pursuant to this section, the commissioner shall hold at least two public hearings, at least one of which shall be conducted virtually via videoconferencing.

c. The Commissioner of Human Services shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), establishing:

(1) qualification, training, and experience requirements for crisis hotline center and mobile crisis response team staff, which shall include a requirement that crisis hotline centers employ individuals with prior experience working with military veterans;

(2) composition requirements for mobile crisis response teams, which, at a minimum, shall include at least one licensed or certified behavioral health care professional and at least one certified peer; and

(3) the scope of practice, operational protocols, and vehicle and equipment requirements for mobile crisis response teams, which requirements may provide for the establishment of crisis response teams capable of providing specialized responses to behavioral health crises involving particular types of mental health conditions.

d. Mobile crisis response teams shall be community-based and may incorporate the use of: emergency medical technicians and other health care providers, to the extent a medical response is needed; law enforcement personnel, to the extent that the crisis cannot be resolved without the presence of law enforcement, provided that, whenever possible, the mobile crisis response team shall seek to engage the services of law enforcement personnel who have completed training in behavioral health crisis response; and other professionals as may be necessary and appropriate to provide a comprehensive response to a behavioral health crisis.

e. Notwithstanding the requirement that mobile crisis response teams be community based, nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the provision of crisis intervention services via telephone, video chat, or other appropriate communications media, if the use of these media are necessary to provide access to a needed service in response to a particular behavioral health crisis, and the provision of services using telephone, video chat, or other media is consistent with the needs of the person experiencing the behavioral health crisis.

(cf: P.L.2022. c.35, s.3)

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires crisis hotline centers contracted under the Statewide mobile behavioral health crisis response system to employ individuals with prior experience working with military veterans under rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the Commissioner of Human Services (commissioner).

Pursuant to subsection e. of section 2 of P.L.2022, c.35, contracted crisis hotline centers are required to comply with certain standards and requirements as established by the federal "Natural Suicide Designation Act of 2020," the Federal Communications Commission and any other federal authority having jurisdiction, and the Commissioner of Human Services.

Under the current law, the commissioner is required to adopt rules and regulations for the Statewide mobile behavioral health crisis response system that establish qualification, training, and experience requirements for crisis hotline center and mobile crisis response team staff. This bill specifies that these requirements are to include a requirement that crisis hotline centers employ individuals with prior experience working with military veterans.