ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
[Second Reprint]
SENATE, No. 1067
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: FEBRUARY 20, 2025
The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1067 (2R).
As reported, this bill 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 Executive Director of the DDHH, in consultation with the Assistant Commissioner of the DMHAS, will be responsible for coordinating and overseeing the implementation of culturally affirmative and linguistically appropriate mental health services Statewide. Among other things, the executive director will be required to ensure that 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 needed; facilitate the provision of clinical and administrative case consultations to mental health professionals; and establish an advisory committee to make recommendations and provide advice and assistance concerning the implementation of the bill.
As reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 1067 (2R) is identical to Assembly Bill No. 1673 (1R), which was amended and also reported by the committee on this date.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Office of Legislative Services concludes that there will be an indeterminate annual increase to State costs to implement the services and programmatic requirements of the bill. The primary non-staff related cost drivers would be the development of a mental health workforce that can effectively serve deaf and hard of hearing individuals, the establishment and implementation of certification criteria for these mental health professionals, and the provision of funding for services. These costs would largely depend upon unknown factors: the total population that would be served under the bill and the necessary expansion of the existing provider network to meet the needs of this population.
Annual State costs to expand staff within the Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the Department of Human Services to comply with the provisions of the bill are estimated to be about $170,000. This assumes the need for two additional full-time program specialist positions to support the Executive Director of the division in implementing the various provisions of the bill regarding oversight and administration.