Advocacy E-News July 1, 2019
July 1, 2019
MURPHY SIGNS BUDGET CUTTING $48M FREEZING UP TO $235M MORE
Gov. Phil Murphy on Sunday signed a $38.7 billion state budget, but not before he had stripped out $48.5 million in spending added by lawmakers and froze up to $235 million more in other spending booked by a state Legislature controlled by his fellow Democrats.
STATE FIRES BACK ON CLAIMS ALLEGING DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AT GREYSTONE
A lawsuit alleging dangerous conditions at New Jersey’s Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital has failed to link the state’s actions with harm to the actual patients named as plaintiffs, according to legal papers filed by the Attorney General’s Office late Wednesday. In addition, the attorneys argued that the court shouldn’t force the state to take action immediately.
HUMAN SERVICES LAUNCHES SECURE INTERNET REGISTRY FOR PSYCHIATRIC ADVANCED DIRECTIVES
The NJ Department of Human Services’ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services today launched a secure online registry that provides health care providers immediate and streamlined access to advanced directives containing consumers’ choices about their mental health care for those consumers who choose to submit this information. A Psychiatric Advanced Directive (PAD) is a written legal document that expresses an individual’s preferences about their mental health care during a mental health crisis.
To sign up for the registry, go to:
https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/dmhas/resources/mental/pad/
BILL REQUIRING MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS HEADS TO GOVERNOR
The Assembly voted 74-0 to pass legislation to integrate mental health education into health and physical education classes for all K-12 students. Under the measure, the State Board of Education would review and update the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. In its review, the State board would consult with mental health experts including, but not limited to, representatives from the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
MURPHY SIGNS LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH NJ BASED HEALTH EXCHANGE
Governor Phil Murphy today signed legislation to establish a State-Based Health Exchange in New Jersey. The law will allow New Jersey greater control over its health insurance market and the ability to establish stronger protections against the Trump Administration’s actions on the Affordable Care Act.
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