Bill > A4984

This bill requires the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) to expand the NJ Statewide Student Support Services program to include eating disorder awareness, prevention, and counseling services for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The bill mandates that the program's 15 regional hubs conduct community-based needs assessments to evaluate existing services related to eating disorders and develop comprehensive policies and procedures to address these issues. These policies must include guidelines for providing eating disorder services across three tiers of support: Tier 1 offers universal supports like workshops and online resources, Tier 2 provides targeted small-group interventions, and Tier 3 focuses on individualized clinical interventions and connecting youth to community-based mental health providers. The regional hubs will be responsible for assigning mental health clinicians and prevention specialists to deliver these services, with the ultimate goal of improving eating disorder awareness, prevention, and support for students and their families. The bill requires DCF to adopt formal regulations to implement these requirements and will take effect three months after enactment.

Government Affairs, Health and Social Services

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A4984