STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblywoman JOANN DOWNEY
District 11 (Monmouth)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Houghtaling and Assemblywoman Timberlake
SYNOPSIS
Requires DOH to develop and implement plan to improve access to postpartum depression screening.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning mental health and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Health shall develop and implement a plan to improve access to postpartum depression screening, referral, treatment, and support services.
b. The plan shall provide strategies to:
(1) increase awareness among mental health care service providers who treat women experiencing postpartum depression with regard to the prevalence and effects of postpartum depression on women and children;
(2) establish a referral network of mental health care providers and support services for women who are in need of postpartum depression treatment;
(3) increase women's access to formal and informal peer support services, including access to certified peer specialists who have received training related to postpartum depression;
(4) raise public awareness for, and reduce the stigma related to, postpartum depression; and
(5) provide available funds to postpartum depression screening, referral, treatment, and support services.
2. The Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Health (department) to develop and implement a plan to improve access to postpartum depression screening.
Under the bill, the department is to develop and implement a plan to improve access to postpartum depression screening, referral, treatment, and support services. The plan is to provide strategies to: (1) increase awareness among mental health care service providers who treat women experiencing postpartum depression with regard to the prevalence and effects of postpartum depression on women and children; (2) establish a referral network of mental health care providers and support services for women who are in need of postpartum depression treatment; (3) increase women's access to formal and informal peer support services, including access to certified peer specialists who have received training related to postpartum depression; (4) raise public awareness for, and reduce the stigma related to postpartum depression; and (5) provide available funds to postpartum depression screening, referral, treatment, and support services.