Study Suggests Expansion of Take-Home Methadone Did Not Contribute to Methadone-Involved Overdoses
July 14, 2022
In March of 2020, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) allowed states to request blanket
exceptions to be able to provide up to 28 and 14 days of
take-home methadone for stable and less-stable patients,
respectively. This move aimed to f...
State Budget and Introduced Legislation Aim to Expand and Strengthen Behavioral Healthcare Workforce
July 12, 2022
"Legislators looking to add more mental health
professionals statewide have allocated a combined $9.62
million in the new state budget to expand training
programs to meet the demand," as reported in NJ
Spotl...
Sen. Booker and colleagues Urge Biden Administration to Remove Cannabis’ Schedule I Classification
July 11, 2022
On July 6th, six U.S. Senators issued a letter addressed
to President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland,
and Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Xavier
Becerra, urging them to remove cannabis' classifi...
Medicaid Beneficiary Resource Limits to Return Following End of PHE
July 7, 2022
Currently, the federal public health emergency (PHE), which began
in March of 2020, is still in effect. With the PHE comes
additional flexibilities relating to Medicaid beneficiaries'
monetary resources and their eligibility for Medicaid. During the
PHE, no Medicaid benef...
New Jersey Prepares to Receive Opioid Settlement Funds this Month
July 6, 2022
New Jersey is preparing to receive its share of the $26
billion federal opioid settlement that was
announced in March of this year. Of the $26
billion settlement, New Jersey is set to receive $641
million in...
NJ DHS Announces Plans to Provide Free Naloxone for 2022
July 5, 2022
The New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced
plans to provide organizations access to free naloxone for 2022
through the DHS Naloxone Distribution Program.
This year, DHS, through a new partnership, will be able to
deliver naloxone kits directly to Ne...
NJAMHAA's Advocacy Results in Many FY2023 Budget Bill and other Legislative Wins
June 30, 2022
New Jersey's Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and
General Assembly Budget Committee voted yesterday on a $50.6
billion FY2023 budget bill, a record high and well above Governor
Murphy's proposed $48.9 billion budget. Floor votes in both
houses were to take plac...
Rutgers Announces Future of Work Initiative Piloting Flexible Work Arrangements
June 28, 2022
Last week, Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway
announced the Rutgers Future of Work initiative, allowing for
employees to utilize flexible work arrangements for a year-long
pilot program, beginning on September 1, 2022.
The announcement comes a year after Ho...
Bipartisan Group of Senators Releases “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act” Gun Bill Text
June 23, 2022
A bipartisan group of Senators released on Tuesday the text of a
bill to combat gun violence, the "Bipartisan
Safer Communities Act". The legislation would include
state funding to implement "red flag" laws and enhanced
background checks.
The Senate voted in favor of...
Temporary CADC Certification and Emergency Licensure Graduate Programs Are in Force Indefinitely
June 21, 2022
NJAMHAA received confirmation from the Governor's Counsel that
Executive Order (EO) 292 issued in April 2022, which
extended all Administrative Orders, Directives and Waivers listed
in the
Appendix to EO 281, supersedes the expiration dates
specified in statute (P....
NJ Senate Advances Legislation to Support Upcoming 988 Rollout
June 20, 2022
As laid out in the
National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, a
new number will be available for people experiencing mental
health crises to call or text, scheduled to be rolled out
nationwide by July 16th. The new number, 988, is
expected to be easier to remem...
Expansion of ANCHOR Property Tax Program would Provide $2 Billion in Property Tax Relief
June 16, 2022
On June 15, 2022, Governor Phil Murphy, Senate President Nicholas
Scutari, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin announced the
expansion of the Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners
and Renters (ANCHOR) program. This expansion includes increased
investment from ...
Federal Bill Aims to Address Gun Violence, Includes Funding for Mental Health Care & School Security
June 14, 2022
"A bipartisan group of senators announced Sunday that it had
reached a tentative agreement on legislation that would pair
modest new gun restrictions with significant new mental health
and school security investments - a deal that could put Congress
on a path to enacting...
House Passes ‘Red Flag’ Gun Bill with Presidential Support; Bill Now Moves to the Senate
June 13, 2022
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.2377, the
Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order of 2022, that would allow
families, police, and others to ask federal courts to order the
removal of firearms from people at extreme risk of harming
themselves or othe...
DDD Shares Update on Enhanced Funding for Day Services Reconciliation
June 9, 2022
On October 1, 2021, rates for Day Services (i.e., Career
Planning, Community Inclusion Services, Day Habilitation,
Prevocational Training - Group and Individual, and Supported
Employment - Group and Individual) were increased due to one-time
funding appropriated to the Di...
