STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman PAMELA R. LAMPITT
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Assemblyman LOUIS D. GREENWALD
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Verrelli, Stanley, Wimberly and Assemblywoman Lopez
SYNOPSIS
Permits certain mental health professionals working in school districts to refer or help facilitate referral of students to private professional counselors.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning mental health services for public school students and supplementing chapter 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. A student assistance coordinator, school counselor, or school psychologist or other mental health professional working in a school district may refer, or help facilitate the referral of, a student to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling under Title 45 of the Revised Statutes, for mental health assessments and services. A student assistance coordinator, school counselor, or school psychologist or other mental health professional working in a school district shall not refer a student to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling if the student assistance coordinator, school counselor, or school psychologist or other mental health professional, or that individual’s immediate family, or that individual in combination with the individual’s immediate family has a significant beneficial interest in or with the private individual licensed to provide professional counseling. If a student is not legally permitted to consent on his own to the mental health assessments and services, the student’s parent or guardian shall be notified of, and consent to, the referral or the facilitation of a referral prior to the provision of any assessment or service by the licensed private individual.
In the case of a referral or a facilitation of a referral pursuant to this section, neither the school district nor the individual referring or facilitating the referral shall bear the cost of the assessments or services provided to the student.
This section shall not be construed to limit a school district’s authority to provide mental health assessments and services to a student prior to or after a referral or the facilitation of a referral has been made to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling under Title 45 of the Revised Statutes.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would permit a student assistance coordinator, school counselor, or school psychologist or other mental health professional working in a school district to refer, or help facilitate the referral of, a student to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling, for mental health assessments and services. An individual licensed to provide professional counseling would include, but not be limited to, a psychiatrist, certified social worker, licensed clinical social worker, licensed social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, certified psychoanalyst, or licensed psychologist. A student assistance coordinator, school counselor, or school psychologist or other mental health professional working in a school district will not be able to refer a student to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling with whom the district employee, or the employee’s immediate family, or the employee in combination with his or her family has a significant beneficial interest.
In the case of a student who is not legally permitted to consent on his own to the assessments and services, the student’s parent or guardian will be notified of the referral or the facilitation of the referral, and the parent or guardian will be required to consent prior to the provision of any assessment or service by the licensed private individual.
In the case of a referral or the facilitation of a referral of a student to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling, the bill provides that neither the school district nor the individual making the referral or facilitating the referral will be required to bear the cost of the assessments and services provided to the student.
This bill would not limit a school district’s authority to provide mental health assessments and services to students prior to or after a referral or the facilitation of a referral has been made to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling.