Package Of Mental Health Bills Under Consideration By NJ Lawmakers

NEW JERSEY — A package of mental health and safety bills are under discussion in the state legislature, in order to meet increased demand for services and ensure adequate Medicaid reimbursement rates for providers, state government websites said.

Each of the three bills come as mental health seems to matter more now than ever before. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, about 3 in 10 adults in New Jersey have reported symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders, in contrast to 1 in 10 adults in 2019, according to the Kaiser Foundation.

But language in two of the bills garnered some criticism from a statewide mental health nonprofit, a representative said.

Bill No. 4273: One of the bills, introduced in June by state Assemblywoman Angela McKnight, would require schools that offer student psychological services offer a remote option.

“Ensuring our students have access to important counseling services is critical. The pandemic had a lasting effect on the social, emotional and mental well-being of K-12 students across the country. This legislation will enable students to take advantage of counseling services provided by their schools, even if they are not able to attend in-person sessions with a school psychologist," McKnight said in a statement.

Although favorable to the bill, Carolyn Beauchamp, president and CEO of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, said the language seems "narrowly focused" on school psychologists who offer services. A lot of mental health service providers, she said, are social workers or licensed professional counselors.

"Our goal is to get as much treatment to people as possible," Beauchamp said. "Schools should have all types of mental health professionals, so let's open up access."

Bill No. 3229: A second bill, introduced in March by state Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt, would require in-service safety training for school employees to include the establishment of a behavioral threat assessment team; the team would identify students who "pose a potential safety risk."

Again, though not opposed to the bill, Beauchamp said the bill needs more consideration to balance school safety with treatment for children in need.

Bill No. 2792: A third bill, introduced in June by state Sens. Teresa Ruiz and Joseph Vitale, increases Medicaid reimbursement for primary and mental healthcare services according to Medicare payment rates for the same services.

"This is brilliant," Beauchamp said. "We fully support and think it will help address obstacles."