New Jersey Governor Announces $110 Million in Mental Health Expansion Programs
As part of a $110 million mental health reform package, "hundreds" of state hospital residents will move to "improved" community group homes, acting Gov. Donald DiFrancesco (R) announced on Oct. 16, the Bergen Record reports. The "long-term plan," dubbed Redirection II, will include the development of community programs for 388 of 1,945 state hospital patients who have "been identified as eligible" for housing in a community setting. Designed by the New Jersey Division of Mental Health Services, the plan will also expand other community services for the mentally ill "in an effort to maintain hospital caseload reductions." New services offered under Redirection II will include:
- New group homes and "supervised apartments" with support services designed to keep clients "well without hospitalization."
- Exapnsion to five additional counties of a program that serves patients who resist "traditional services."
- Improved access to "medication-related" services, psychiatric and nursing staffs, self-medication programs and patient "consumer" education.
- Crisis and respite care expansion to prevent "unnecessary" hospital stays in short term care facilities and county psychiatric hospitals.
- A program to provide 18 months of case management for patients discharged from short term care facilities.
- Increased access to housing and rental subsidies.
