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As a preface to this past weekend’s official launch of the national suicide prevention hotline 988, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-19th District, held a press conference July 15 to highlight New Jersey’s mental health crisis response funding in its Fiscal Year 2023 state budget. 

Joined by acting Gov. Sheila Oliver, Coughlin addressed the $28.8 million allocated to mental health programs in the spending plan while Gov. Phil Murphy was out of state attending the National Governors Association Summer Meeting. There, as he began his year-long chairmanship of the organization, Murphy also announced his chair’s initiative: Strengthening Youth Mental Health.

The governor signed the budget – Assembly Bill 2036/Senate Bill 311 – into law June 30, 2022, which funnels $12.8 million toward the 988 implementation and $16 million for mobile crisis response to support individuals who need help. 

“We are at a critical point in our response to mental health crisis and our investments into a robust continuum of care begins with the launch of 988, which is going to ensure every person in every community can access the individualized care they need,” Coughlin said. “Alongside crisis response, we also invested broadly in community services as well as critical food assistance and housing initiatives, which are all tied to mental wellbeing and vital to our commitment to prioritize the needs of people and families all across our state.” 

Now live, the 988 hotline is available 24/7 for call, text or chat for those experiencing a mental health-related or suicidal crisis, or those looking to help a loved one. The existing Lifeline number, 1-800-273-8255, will also continue to be available. 

Oliver called the hotline “an incredible advancement in access to coordinated care for our state.” 

In a statement, Robert Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health, added, “Hackensack Meridian Health is deeply committed to addressing the crisis in behavioral health care by dramatically expanding access to care, better coordinating treatment and developing new therapies to help the 1 in 4 people who are struggling with mental illness or addiction.” 

Garrett added that the Hackensack Meridian health care team is grateful to the state Legislature and Murphy for “an unprecedented investment in services that will no doubt save lives.” Coughlin and Oliver made the announcement at Hackensack Meridian’s Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy.

Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-19th District, chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, said the mental health crisis was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“With this year’s budget and the passage of S311, we are acting to bring more attention to the issue, deliver more resources, increase the number of behavioral health professionals and create a robust crisis response system to help those in need,” Vitale said. 

In the statement, Miriam Delphin-Rittmon – assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – thanked state leaders as well as the call centers and behavioral health professionals who are working “to support people in crisis, prevent suicides and save lives.” 

“I am committed to continued work with our national stakeholders to achieve a smooth transition and I greatly appreciate the partnership with our state leaders in New Jersey,” Delphin-Rittmon said. 

On July 5, the Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care National Call Center announced it was selected to serve as one of 12 national backup centers that will triage overflow calls made to the hotline.