(TRENTON)
– An Assembly panel on Thursday approved legislation sponsored by Assembly
Democrats Reed Gusciora, Valerie Vainieri Huttle and Annette Quijano to make
information about the availability of substance abuse treatment services in the
state more accessible to residents.
“Admitting
that you need help is the first step towards recovery. We should make it easier
for individuals who are battling with substance abuse and are ready to make a
change to find the services they need,” said Gusciora (D- Mercer/Hunterdon).
“This bill would help facilitate that by having one central location where an
individual can go to find the most suitable treatment facility for them.”
The bill
(A-226) would require each licensed residential or outpatient substance abuse
treatment facility in the state to provide the health department in the county
where it is located with certain information about the availability of services
at the facility, on an estimated average basis.
Under the
provisions of the bill, the county health department would have to display and
maintain this information on its website, as well as share the information with
the Department of Human Services, which would also be required to display and
maintain the information on its website.
“Seeking
help can be hard when you don’t know where to look,” said Vainieri Huttle
(D-Bergen). “These facilities are only effective if people know how to find
them. The web is a primary source for information. By posting this information
online, the road to recovery can be a click away.”
“Most
people today almost exclusively rely on the web for information,” said Quijano
(D-Union). “Making this information available online can help those individuals
who want to get help, but don’t know where to start, find the best treatment
option for them without too much hassle.”
The
information to be displayed would provide: (1) the total capacity of a licensed
residential or outpatient substance abuse treatment facility to provide
inpatient or outpatient services; (2) the number of expected openings
available, on an estimated daily basis, for a person seeking services from the
facility on an inpatient or outpatient basis; and (3) the average waiting time
for an opening for a person to receive services from the facility on an
inpatient or outpatient basis. Once the information is received, each county
health department would be required to display and maintain the information on
its website, including the address and telephone number for each facility, and
the availability of services in the county for a person seeking services from a
licensed substance abuse treatment facility.
Each
facility would be required to update the information provided at least
annually, and may update information more frequently at its discretion.
The bill
was released by the Assembly Human Services Committee.
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