URGENT ADVOCACY NEEDED
Keep Pushing 988 Forward!
In 2020, Congress took an historic step in designating 988 the three-digit number for mental health crisis and suicide prevention by July 16, 2022. We now have an extraordinary opportunity to build a true crisis standard of care in every community that provides 24/7 Local Crisis Call Centers, Mobile Crisis Teams, and Crisis Stabilization Programs.

Last month, the NJ Senate Health Committee unanimously advanced legislation (S311) to establish needed funding and infrastructure for 988. While this was a crucial step forward for 988, the Assembly Health Committee must also act.

Monday, March 7th at 10am, the NJ Assembly Health Committee will hear testimony and vote on A2036. We need your voice to push this bill forward.

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?

  • Submit written testimony to OLSAideAHE@njleg.org!
  • Or testify in person at the Statehouse Annex in Trenton, NJ in Committee Room 11, 4th Floor on Monday, March 7th at 10am!
  • You must register at the following link by 3pm tomorrow in order to testify.
  • Below are some points to address in your testimony:
  • Include your name and what community you live in
  • Share your experience accessing crisis care (for you or your loved one), if applicable. What happened, and what went wrong or what went well?
  • What will dialing 988 instead of 911 mean to you or others like you/your family? 
  • How can ensuring that a mobile crisis team response or crisis stabilization programs are available change what happened to you/what will happen to others?
  • Reach out to your local legislators! Tell them to support S311/A2036 when it comes up for a full vote in the Senate and Assembly! Follow this link to locate your district, and identify your representatives. Call and email them the following message:
“My name is (your name) and I am an advocate with NAMI NJ. As (a person/family member of a person) with a mental health condition, I am calling to ask (Asm/Asw/Sen) to vote “yes” on S311/A2036. 

Too often, a person in a mental health crisis ends up in the emergency room or involved in the criminal justice system. That’s not acceptable, and this bill gives us an opportunity to change that. S311/A2036 will create a mental health crisis response system to ensure that any person in New Jersey, no matter where they live, has access to crisis care when they need it most. By providing a mental health response to mental health crises, we will help families like mine and our broader community. It’s time we give people the help they need, and this bill will make that possible.

Please vote yes on S311/A2036.”
Meredith Masin Blount
Executive Director

Mark T. Williams
President