SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
SENATE, No. 1067
with committee amendments
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: MARCH 14, 2024
The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 1067.
This bill, as amended, is designated as the “Right to Mental Health Care for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Act” and establishes certain requirements concerning the provision of mental health services to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, who are referred to in the bill as “clients.”
Specifically, the bill requires that mental health services be provided in a manner that is culturally affirmative and linguistically appropriate, using the client’s primary method of communication. Clients may receive services using more than one method of communication, and will retain the right to refuse services.
The Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DDHH) in the Department of Human Services (DHS), in consultation with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) in the DHS, will be required to: implement and maintain culturally affirmative and linguistically appropriate mental health services; recruit, develop, and maintain an adequate number of certified mental health professionals and support staff to meet the demand for culturally affirmative and linguistically appropriate mental health services; monitor the services provided to ensure that clients are adequately served; provide adequate funding for services; develop certification criteria for mental health professionals to provide services to clients, as well as incentives to promote professional recruitment and retention; and develop and implement strategies to ensure access to mental health services regardless of geography, which may include the use of telemedicine and other approved remote technologies.
The DDHH, in consultation with the DMHAS, will be required to employ a deaf services coordinator, who will be responsible for coordinating and overseeing the implementation of culturally affirmative and linguistically appropriate mental health services Statewide. Among other things, the coordinator will be required to ensure appropriate mental health services for clients are accessible Statewide in all treatment settings; serve as a liaison throughout State government to maximize the use of State resources and engage in joint planning; develop a model for a Statewide system of care; collaborate with mental health professionals throughout the State to assist and ensure compliance with State and federal laws relating to mental health services for clients; collect and evaluate clinical and programmatic outcome data; distribute funds or grants to achieve optimum service delivery; prepare and submit reports as required by the DMHAS and DDHH; and provide clinical and administrative case consultations support the provision of mental health services to clients. The bill, as amended, appropriates from the General Fund to the DDHH such sums as are necessary to employ a deaf services coordinator.
The deaf services coordinator will be required to establish an advisory committee to make recommendations and provide advice and assistance concerning the implementation of the bill.
This bill was prefiled for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:
The committee amendments shift responsibility for implementation of the bill’s provisions and the employment of the deaf services coordinator positions to the DDHH, in consultation with the DMHAS. As introduced, the DMHAS, in consultation with the DDHH, was responsible for these provisions.
The committee amendments also provide for an appropriation from the General Fund to the DDHH in such a sum as is necessary to employ a deaf services coordinator. The amendments update the bill’s title and synopsis to reflect this change.