Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) Pursuant to
30:4-27.4, the Division shall
designate a screening service in each geographic area. Although a geographic
area will usually consist of a county, depending on geographic size,
population, demographics or other factors, the Division may designate a portion
of a county or a multi-county area as a geographic area.
(b) Beginning in 2011, and in each year
thereafter, the Division shall designate a screening service for each of the
State's geographic areas for a period of up to seven years at the conclusion of
the process concerning the awarding of public contracts through public
solicitation of bids or, in accordance with emergency designation procedures
delineated in
10:31-10.2.
1. In the year prior to the year of
designation, the Division shall notify the public, through a notice published
in the New Jersey Register and news media and posted on its website, that it is
accepting applications for screening service designation in certain geographic
areas.
(c) Once
designated, the screening service shall have, for the period of designation,
the sole authority to provide screening in, and for, the geographic area in
which it is located, and shall assume all of the functions listed in
10:31-2.1.
1. Screening contracts shall be funded on a
yearly basis, consistent with the Legislature's annual funding
appropriation.
(d) In
order to maintain its designation status, a screening service shall demonstrate
compliance with the standards of this chapter and satisfactory performance of
the screening functions in the region, including, but not limited to:
1. Clinical assessment, crisis stabilization,
referral, linkage and mobile outreach services;
2. Documentation and recordkeeping
requirements, such as data reporting and performance measurement
specifications;
3. State and
Federal confidentiality laws;
4.
Implementation of wellness and recovery and cultural competency
principles;
5. Maintenance of
appropriate working relationships with all components of the Statewide acute
care system; and
6. Maintenance of
appropriately trained and credentialed staff.
(e) The Department shall ensure the
participation of the county mental health board in the designation of the
geographic areas and screening services:
1.
Geographic areas: Whenever the Division is considering a change to the existing
designated geographic areas, the Division shall so notify the affected counties
and each county mental health board shall make a recommendation to the Division
regarding the boundaries of the geographic area to be covered by the screening
service. The Division shall designate the geographic area after consideration
of this recommendation; and
2.
Screening service designation: The Division shall include in the competitive
designation process participation by the relevant county mental health
board(s). Specifically, prior to Division designation, the county mental health
board shall review all proposals and at a public meeting, take and make a
record of all public comments concerning the entities that applied for
designation before making a written recommendation of an agency to be
designated as the screening service, based on, but not limited, to the
following factors:
i. Demonstrated history of
providing quality services;
ii.
Knowledge of, and willingness to provide services to, target
populations;
iii. Ability to
provide mental health services in a cost effective manner; and
iv. The documented ability to comply with
this chapter.
(f) The Division shall designate a screening
service after reviewing all public comments and the mental health board's
recommendation considering the ability of all entities applying to comply with
this chapter, as identified in the Request for Proposal.
