Bill > A4185

Introduced Session

This bill requires the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs (DMVA), in consultation with the Department of Human Services (DHS), to establish a counseling program for family members of active duty military members and disabled veterans. The counseling program will provide eligible family members of active duty military members and disabled veterans with mental health care counseling. The program will reimburse mental health care professionals, who are available to participate in the program, for up to 10 mental health care counseling sessions, either in person or by telehealth, per eligible family member per year. The bill requires DMVA, in consultation with DHS, to: (1) develop, maintain, and distribute a list of available mental health care professionals on a Statewide basis and distribute the list of available mental health care professionals to each Veterans Service Office for the distribution thereof. (2) develop a process for mental health care professionals to apply for and demonstrate eligibility to receive reimbursement from the program. (3) periodically inform the mental health care professional of an eligible family member's remaining number of counseling sessions eligible for reimbursement for a calendar year. (4) determine a reasonable rate of reimbursement for each mental health care counseling session with an eligible family member, which rate will be the same regardless of whether the a counseling session occurs in person or by telehealth. (5) conduct an awareness and outreach campaign about the program focused on disseminating information about the program to active duty military members, disabled veterans, and eligible family members. The bill defines "eligible family member" to include any individual who is a New Jersey resident and is the spouse, domestic partner, partner in a civil union, or child, whether of the whole blood or the half blood, or by adoption, of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard who is on active duty for the United States or of a disabled veteran.

Committee Categories

Vicky Flynn (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee (on 04/15/2024)

Official Document