By Vin Gopal
Our state offers services to people experiencing a mental health crisis, but we need to make sure these services are accessible and that people know how to contact the professionals available to them.
The NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) works with the five Lifeline Centers in the state to provide assistance when people call 9-8-8, the nationwide 3-digit dialing code set up in 2022 for Mental Health Crisis and Suicide Prevention. A 9-8-8 call will connect you to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, where compassionate, accessible care and support are available for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress, thoughts of suicide, or a substance use crisis. People can also dial 9-8-8 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
In New Jersey, these five Lifeline Centers manage the 9-8-8 support and they need our support. That’s why my colleague, Senator Joseph Vitale, and I have sponsored legislation establishing a fee at 40 cents a month per line for each resident of New Jersey who subscribes to mobile services or IP-enabled voice services.
To make the mental health care system less overwhelming, affordable and easier to use, New Jersey is currently implementing a novel model of crisis response through the 988 Crisis Continuum of Care. Our legislation ensures financial security to the Continuum through the monthly revenues collected by the state Department of Taxation.
The 988 Crisis Continuum of Care provides support by phone 24-hours a day, every day, from by trained specialists who listen, provide support and refer people experiencing a mental health, substance use or suicidal crisis to available services. This Continuum is designed to provide immediate response in the community to reduce the chances of a crisis escalating and resulting in hospitalization or death. It is an alternative to more traditional emergency response that reduces the trauma associated with emergency room visits.
The Continuum also provides a mobile outreach service with an in-person crisis response, as well as two Crisis Stabilization Centers that are support hubs providing up to 24 hours of clinical and support intervention, and Crisis Diversion Homes that can continue those services for up to 30 days.
Residents also may call or text 9-8-8 counselors or chat with them online at 988lifeline.org/chat/. The fee will not be applied to mobile service users who receive benefits under the federal Lifeline program. The funding generated by our legislation would immediately support the state’s five Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Centers.
Carolyn Beauchamp, president and CEO of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, recently wrote an Op-Ed piece on NJ.Com pointing out that “our mental health care system is overwhelming, expensive and difficult to access,” and supporting our legislation. She noted that, although one-in-five people in the U.S. experience mental illness every year, care remains out of reach for millions of them.
Ensuring that New Jersey residents in need of mental health support can find a safe place for help 24 hours a day certainly seems worth the expense of 40 cents a month.
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