Bill > A4766

Introduced Session

This bill amends the annual appropriations act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 to provide that a minimum of $25 million of the $100 million Expanded Addiction Initiatives appropriation is used to develop, support, and expand programs and services that serve individuals with co-occurring mental health disorders and substance use disorders in an integrated treatment setting. Among the 8.9 million adults with any mental health and a substance use disorder in the United States in 2016, 44 percent received substance use treatment or mental health treatment, 13.5 percent received both mental health treatment and substance use treatment, and 37.6 percent did not receive any treatment. Individuals who struggle with co-occurring disorders have a higher likelihood of relapse which is, in part, due to the fact that mental health and substance abuse treatment systems are not always integrated, as these statistics indicate. This makes it difficult for a person to navigate being treated for and recovering from both conditions. Research demonstrates that individuals receiving services in integrated co-occurring treatment facilities were more successful than individuals in non-integrated facilities in the following areas: reduced substance use, improvement in psychiatric symptoms and functioning, decreased hospitalization, increased housing stability, fewer arrests, and improved quality of life. The services provided in New Jersey, as with the nation, lack the capacity to meet the existing needs of the State's adults with co-occurring disorders, putting the health and livelihood of residents who struggle with mental health and substance abuse disorders at risk. This bill aims to improve the State's ability to serve those residents by directing existing State funding to support services and programs for this population.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Ronald Dancer (R)*,  Carol Murphy (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Human Services Committee (on 12/06/2018)