1.The Legislature finds and declares that: a. The current health care system in New Jersey does not always fully address the specific needs of people with behavioral health issues, including mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
b.Frequently, people with behavioral health issues are compelled to access care through primary care providers or hospital emergency departments, neither of which are typically equipped to handle the specialized care needed by people with behavioral health issues. Often, people are discharged from these treatment settings without receiving the care or referrals to services needed to treat the individual's particular behavioral health condition.
c.Similarly, law enforcement are frequently called upon to respond to acute behavioral health crises. I
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1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. The current health care system in New Jersey does not always fully address the specific needs of people with behavioral health issues, including mental health conditions and substance use disorders. b. Frequently, people with behavioral health issues are compelled to access care through primary care providers or hospital emergency departments, neither of which are typically equipped to handle the specialized care needed by people with behavioral health issues. Often, people are discharged from these treatment settings without receiving the care or referrals to services needed to treat the individual's particular behavioral health condition. c. Similarly, law enforcement are frequently called upon to respond to acute behavioral health crises. In many cases, the responding law enforcement officers do not possess the specialized training needed to respond to an acute behavioral health crisis, and so are not equipped to adequately assess the situation, de-escalate and resolve the immediate crisis, and access appropriate behavioral health care services. d. Historically, the lack of a comprehensive behavioral health crisis response system has placed marginalized communities, including those experiencing mental health crises, at disproportionate risk of poor outcomes. e. When a behavioral health condition is not appropriately treated by a qualified behavioral health specialist, the condition may worsen over time. In some cases, such as with an individual who has a substance use disorder, the longer the person goes without appropriate treatment, the greater the risk the person will experience a fatal overdose, contract a bloodborne virus and other communicable diseases, or experience other adverse health consequences resulting from the person's continuing substance use. In cases involving a person experiencing suicide ideation, the longer the person goes without treatment, the greater the risk the person will engage in self-harm. f. Additionally, untreated behavioral health conditions can significantly detract from the quality of life of the person with the behavioral health condition and the person's family and friends, who frequently feel helpless watching a loved one struggle with the burdens of an untreated mental health condition or substance use disorder. g. Steps have been taken at both the State and federal level to better meet the needs of people with behavioral health conditions. At the federal level, the "National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020," Pub.L.116-172, and rules adopted by the Federal Communication Commission's on July 16, 2020 take steps to improve access to crisis resources through a dedicated hotline, similar to 9-1-1, specific to behavioral health crises. At the State level, New Jersey has taken steps to improve access to behavioral health care by streamlining the process for dual licensure for primary and behavioral health care providers, issuing licenses for additional treatment beds, promoting measures to improve access to substance use disorder treatment and support services, and working to expand ready access to behavioral health treatment providers for all New Jerseyans. h. It is now necessary for New Jersey to take the steps required to implement the new national behavioral health crisis hotline in this State. i. It is the intent of the Legislature to support the operations of the national behavioral health crisis hotline in the State, and foster improved behavioral health treatment resources, through the establishment of a comprehensive Statewide mobile behavioral health crisis response system, the goals of which will be: improving access to, and the quality of, behavioral health crisis services through, among other measures, a "no wrong door" model of access; reducing the stigma associated with suicide, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders; improving equity in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions and substance use disorders; promoting equity in services for all individuals, regardless of cultural background, race, age, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation; promoting full access to behavioral health care services across rural, urban, and tribal communities; and ensuring a culturally and linguistically competent response to behavioral health crises. L.2022, c.35, s.1.