S2719

An Act concerning youth suicide prevention and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. The Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with the Department of Human Services, and the New Jersey Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2003, c.214 (C.30:9A-25), shall develop and adopt a Statewide youth suicide prevention plan no later than 180 days after the effective date of this act.

b. The plan shall address, but not be limited to, the:

(1) identification of existing State and local sources of data concerning youth suicide deaths, youth suicide attempts, and self-inflicted injuries by youth;

(2) coordination and sharing of such data among identified State and local sources;

(3) promotion of greater public awareness about youth suicide prevention services and resources;

(4) identification of barriers to accessing mental health and substance abuse services, and opportunities to enhance access; and

(5) promotion of evidenced-based and best practice programs, listed on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Best Practices Registry, for the prevention and treatment of youth suicide and self-injury.

2. The commissioner shall review the effectiveness of services provided by the three New Jersey-based crisis centers that participate in the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network and implement measures to ensure that:

a. staffing levels are adequate to meet the volume of New Jersey telephone calls routed to the three crisis centers;

b. telephone calls to the three crisis centers are answered in a timely manner; and

c. crisis center personnel are knowledgeable about State and local services and resources that may be available to State residents who contact the centers.

3. a. The commissioner shall review the Department of Children and Families grant application procedures to ensure that grant applications submitted by the department for youth suicide prevention initiatives are completed accurately and in a timely manner.

b. The commissioner shall apply for, and accept, any grants from the federal government, and contributions and donations from other public or private sources as may be used for the purposes of this act.

4. The commissioner, within 18 months after the effective date of this act, shall report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the implementation of the provisions of this act, and shall include the youth suicide prevention plan developed pursuant to this act, and the commissioner’s findings and actions taken to implement the provisions of sections 2 and 3 of this act.

5. The commissioner, in accordance with the provisions of the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.

6. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with the Department of Human Services, and the New Jersey Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council, to develop and adopt a Statewide youth suicide prevention plan no later than 180 days after the effective date of this bill.

Specifically, the plan must address the:

· identification of existing State and local sources of data concerning youth suicide deaths, youth suicide attempts, and self-inflicted injuries by youth;

· coordination and sharing of such data among identified State and local sources;

· promotion of greater public awareness about youth suicide prevention services and resources;

· identification of barriers to accessing mental health and substance abuse services, and opportunities to enhance access; and

· promotion of evidenced-based and best practice programs, listed on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Best Practices Registry, for the prevention and treatment of youth suicide and self-injury.

The bill also requires the commissioner to review the effectiveness of services provided by the three New Jersey-based crisis centers that participate in the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network and implement measures to ensure that:

· staffing levels are adequate to meet the volume of New Jersey telephone calls routed to the three crisis centers;

· telephone calls to the three crisis centers are answered in a timely manner; and

· crisis center personnel are knowledgeable about State and local services and resources that may be available to State residents who contact the centers.

Additionally, the bill requires the commissioner to review the Department of Children and Families grant application procedures to ensure that grant applications submitted by the department for youth suicide prevention initiatives are completed accurately and in a timely manner. Further, the bill requires the commissioner to apply for and accept any grants from the federal government, and contributions and donations from other public or private sources as may be used for the purposes of the bill.

The bill takes effect immediately, and requires the commissioner to report to the Governor and the Legislature within 18 months after the effective date of the bill on the youth suicide prevention plan developed pursuant to the bill, and the commissioner’s findings and actions taken to implement the provisions of sections 2 and 3 of the bill.

According to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, there are more than 140 crisis centers that currently participate in the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. Each center receives calls from designated areas of the country, and calls are routed to the closest available crisis center. New Jersey operates three crisis centers in the Lifeline network: CONTACT We Care in Westfield, CONTACT of Mercer County in Ewing, and CONTACT of Burlington County in Moorestown. However, an August 2010 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline report stated that from August 2009 through July 2010, 60% of New Jersey’s crisis calls were answered by Lifeline crisis counselors in other states, primarily New York and Nebraska, who likely do not have access to specific information regarding New Jersey’s youth suicide prevention services and resources.